By Pooja Solanki:
The Indian internet users suffered a major setback last week when the Indian Service Providers (ISPs) blocked torrent and other related websites. The sites which have been imposed a ban include The Pirate Bay, Vimeo, Dailymotion and Pastebin, among others. The UPA government and the Supreme Court are constantly blamed for the disappointment of the million users. But recent reports reveal that it was the Bollywood Production Houses who demanded the blockage.
The production houses had their own set of interests for bringing down these piracy sites and mixed reactions were palpable among the Indian folks. Most of the audience and viewers perceive it as heart-breaking news and have touted it as jeopardy for their entertainment, while others feel it is a good way to curb piracy and promote genuine products.
Aniket Wadekar, a professional from the Hospitality industry and an obsessed Torrent user, says, “No one needs to pay for a HD quality movie or a game because of these sites. All entertainment stuffs are available at your footsteps with just one click away. Now with the outlaw coming up, things have become complicated as other sites do not provide the service the way these sites used to. Moreover, the downloading was faster”.
While the move has angered many internet-savvy people, a few people are least bothered about the drive. Another netizen, Komal Makkar asserts, “It doesn’t matter whether these sites are blocked or not, because the Internet provides a large variety of options which are way better than Torrent sites.” She works for an Advertising company and adds, “The move will safeguard the rights of copyright-holders and production houses. Although we need to shell out more money now to watch good quality movies at home, it is assured that piracy is restrained to some extent due to this initiative.”
But when many users tried opening these sites, they were astonished to see that they could actually access them. “It was ridiculous on the part of the government to announce such a ban. Their declaration didn’t materialize. The Torrent sites could be well accessed and one can download movies, games and software like before”, says Abhijeet Parui, a Mumbai-based media student.
The buzz and hype surrounding this episode is futile and has led to a clutter among Indian netizens. The Government is solely responsible for the ruckus, as they made a statement without even implementing it. Piracy has been violating the welfare of many makers and artists and would persist if a stringent law is not devised. While blocking few websites can’t be considered a great drive the government has undertaken, people need to be aware of this being a criminal activity and its legal consequences. The cynical attitude of the Indian population can add fire to the fuel and pave a way for the pirates to establish their ‘black’ business in the market. Now, it’s all on to us to choose between ‘Genuine’ and ‘Pirated’!