Indonesian batik designer and maker Yosephine Komara, more commonly known as Obin, felt very proud when she spotted a Japanese woman wearing one of her batik designs while she was in an elevator in a Tokyo hotel some years ago.

She was devastated to learn the garment's label bore the name of a famous international designer, but she did find the bright side.

"I remember smiling throughout the day knowing that one of my pieces, created from my emotion, my idea, was taken and reproduced exactly by a world famous brand!" she said.

Yosephine was recounting her efforts to soothe her pain before an audience of about 200, at the second conference of the World International Property Organization in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Tuesday.

After that, Yosephine decided to learn about intellectual property rights so she would be able to protect her handmade products.

Also speaking at the conference was musician Ryan Cayabyab of the Philippines, whose dedication to music remains positive even though the life expectancy of his country's music industry is falling.

He said the volume of sales of recording industry products was limited because of piracy. The situation had forced a recording award committee to shrink its targets.

Ryan said that about a decade ago, an artist needed to sell 20,000 CDs or cassettes to reach a gold award in recording.

Now the award comes with only 12,500 units sold, because of the extent of sharing and downloading through the Internet and illegal duplication of CDs and DVDs, he said.

"We all know what this means. No royalties, no fees, no reason for creators to create. No creation, no culture, no identity, which could result in the death of the spirit," he said.

He said the questions centered on marketing models' ability to adapt to the piracy threat and what the government could do to enforce a new law.

"I can only suggest that we creators continue to write more and explore more ideas to share. I believe that things will fall into their proper places," Ryan said.

Indrato Budi Satriyo, head of the anti-piracy division of the Indonesian Recording Industry Association, said that if piracy was not reined in, the recording industry could survive only another eight years at most.

The Indonesian film industry, which is just starting to gain confidence, could also be harmed by uncontrolled piracy.

The industry won local hearts after it came back to life in 2000, marked by the huge success of children's musical Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure), and then in 2002 with the teen romance Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What's up with Love).

As more young filmmakers, scriptwriters and film directors emerge, local and foreign pirated VCDs and DVDs are also increasing and are sold openly.

In Bali alone, you don't have to go far in Kuta to find some for sale.

Prominent actor Christine Hakim said many actors needed to learn more about intellectual property rights.

"Although I have been in the film business for more than 30 years, I know only very little about how I can protect my movies, what rights I actually have, and I probably don't want to know how many films of mine have been pirated," she said in the conference.

She said several of her movie concepts had been copied without her permission after producers refused to buy them.

"Even my name is being used for crackers in South Sumatra and the woman got rich by selling them," she said.

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