Illegal discs in Dinetah
Pirates of the Navajo Nation under attackNavajo Nation considering CD/DVD anti-piracy legislationAcross the Navajo Nation in stores, gas stations, and especially at roadside bazaars and markets, tables are stocked with duplicated music and copied movies. These "pirated" items come in two major forms: DVDs and CDs. The breadth and depth of variety of these items is boundless. From new releases and feature films to classics, independently made movies and every type of music imaginable, the merchants stock their tables with everything your heart desires.
Then, they hock their goods for low prices relying upon the volume of sales to thicken their wallets.
In the United States and abroad, the copy and sale of films and music is illegal and protected by copyright laws. But on the Navajo Nation (as well as numerous other reservations across North America) no such laws exist. Thus, the door is open for individuals to duplicate and sell the movies and music of others.
2 comments:
Writerfella here --
How jejune! The Navajo Nation may qualify as a sovereign state but it does not fall outside the purview of existing federal copyright laws and/or enforcement. If piracy and copyright infringement is as rampant as is being claimed, there must be investigations ongoing, arrests, etc. If not, then either there is no such rampancy or there is no one insisting on enforcement. Ipso facto...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
I thought the same thing upon reading this article. Namely, that federal laws such as the copyright law apply on reservations too.
I don't know if the Navajo Nation has asked the US government to enforce its anti-piracy statutes. Or if the feds are even aware of the problem. If they are, I doubt they're strongly motivated to pursue these crimes. So the problem may be an insufficient response, not an insufficient stimulus.
Post a Comment