CHENNAI: Pirates may soon find themselves at the receiving end of their own weapons of mass destruction, the DVD-recordable drives, if what happened at Manipal is an indication.

For years, an entertainment industry thriving on pirated VCDs and DVDs of the latest movies was ruling the roost at Manipal, over 55 km from Mangalore in Karnataka.

Until a year back, video parlours seating 100 to 150 persons provided the dominant student population the luxury of watching the latest releases for Rs. 20-25.

The parlours screened a different movie for each show. Posters were put up outside hostels just around dinnertime so that students could plan their day accordingly. Each parlour had its loyal customers.

Today, the scenario has changed. As prices of CDs fell, students owning personal computers with DVD drives became `active.' One of them just had to borrow a VCD from a library. And the whole hostel could have copies. With the entry of broadband, things became easier. Movies could be downloaded from the Net overnight and copies readied in minutes.

Greater risks involved

Last year, three out of the four parlours, which were running near-empty shows, shut shop. Growing anti-piracy measures by the authorities had turned the business more risky too.

It is probably a matter of time before it happens in Chennai. While we do not have a video parlour culture,

Chennai has around 600 shops selling DVDs (estimates provided by the Burma Bazaar Traders Association).

The pirates dropped their prices by half in the wake of the Government crackdown.

A blank CD in the wholesale market costs just Rs. 6 and can store a movie downloaded from the Net. But as students turn towards online downloads and share copies of movies with friends, the pirates are bound to be hit.

But a silver lining for the entertainment business is the increasing cost of downloading bytes off the Net. Though broadband is facilitating quicker downloads, `hidden costs' add to the burden.

Rental schemes have now made it possible for movie buffs to watch the latest releases for the same price, with extra features like director's commentary, deleted scenes and interviews with the cast and crew.

The Tamil film industry is plagued by piracy because the producers are not keen to release video rights in the local market until three years of release, while selling overseas rights soon after the release. These copies find their way online, are smuggled back into the country and mass-produced illegally.

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