Editorial: Junk is junk

Thu, 07/10/2008 10:14 AM  |  Opinion

Lawyers say the effective protection of copyright is urgently needed in Indonesia to create legal certainty and to strengthen the nation's credibility.

"At the end of the day this will boost the Indonesian economy," lawyer Frans H. Winarta wrote recently in this paper.

As we know, however, no one here waits till the end of the day, except for the minority who walk the straight and narrow. Even when we're reminded about the further decline of our international reputation, as an official of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry told this newspaper recently.

For near the malls are the alleyway bazaars and markets, where parking lots are filled with high-priced vehicles. Ladies and gentlemen step out of their sedans and mingle with shoppers arriving by public minibus, eyeing and buying the latest Zara accessories for a few dollars, likewise the fake handbags and watches.

The demand is there, so supply is there, the vendors argue with a shrug. Thanks to skilled counterfeiters, the teenager of a not-so-rich family can blend in with her posh friends, just a few weeks after the new fashions hit the boutiques.

Candra Darusman, who represented Indonesia in the World Intellectual Property Organization, has long struggled to combat piracy for the sake of his musical profession, the livelihood of his colleagues and the dignity of his nation.

All the pirating, he points out, contributes to the dire straits of musicians in a country which has no welfare system, even for those who can no longer sing for their supper.

His lone voice to respect the talented creators of our popular culture has virtually been drowned out by pirated movies and music, CDs and DVDs. Never mind that savvy awareness campaign trying to remind viewers and listeners that they're not criminals. It's no secret that foreign tourists also ask locals where they can snatch up pirated films, music and software.

Would people discriminate the other way around by buying pirated material -- like fake versions of top-earning rockers and rappers living in gigantic MTV cocoons -- while seeking out the original DVDs of poor local musicians?

No guarantee: in the absence of law enforcement the ease of accessing pirated material has become part of the daily nutritional intake.

Unsurprisingly our double standards are ever present: the uproar over our neighbors' tourism campaigns presenting dances and songs that we thought were our ancestral rights were almost tantamount to the old konfrontasi diplomatic war with Malaysia.

Law enforcement is the key -- news of possible raids in offices may have discouraged the purchase of pirated software, though to what degree is yet to be clear, more than the Microsoft reminder that "you may have become a victim of piracy".

But whenever the law is mentioned, many give up and just say "forget it".

We had our first copyright law 26 years ago, with the latest update in 2002. The law underlines our obligations brought on by Indonesia's ratification of related international conventions. Violations incur a maximum penalty of seven year's imprisonment and/or a fine of up to Rp 5 billion.

But as a shark hunter from Sulawesi once told this paper: "I don't mind spending time in an Australian jail, even if they burn my boat. The gains are still much higher."

Candra repeatedly reminds us that the legal approach will not work without the cultural awareness that is needed to instill respect for creativity and originality.

An underlying problem is perhaps the materialism which present-day society overly emphasises to define itself.

The motto "you are what you wear" permeates the outlook of the rich man and everyman alike.

Social mobility distinguished not by merit or accomplishment but the labels adorning our attire.

But they forget, junk is junk.

A cheap motorbike does not become better just because a Harley Davidson emblem is fixed upon it, nor does a handbag become more graceful when a Louis Vitton logo is sewn on its side.

It is no less vain than buying a diploma from an obscure university just to impress people with a fake academic title on a namecard.

Character, integrity and intelligence define a person.

The pursuit of vanity on the cheap spurred on by the allure of prestigous commercial brands spawns a nation as superficial as the fake handbags in the corner store.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.