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AKARTA: Daniel Mananta said he was overwhelmed dealing with online shops selling pirated copies of his Damn! I Love Indonesia clothing range.

 “It’s hard to control the online shops selling copies of Damn! I Love Indonesia shirts because as soon as we report them, they will disappear for a day and then re-appear again the next day,” he was quoted in kompas.com.

He said the absence of a regulator of online shops has increased the piracy of well-known brands, especially in the fashion industry.

The former MTV VJ also believes the actions of these copycats are harming the Indonesian creative industry. He fears that this will especially impact younger entrepreneurs who have just started out in their business.

“Damn! I Love Indonesia was a brand that I really thought about since 2008. When it finally launched, I invested so much time and money in it. But not long after it launched, people started copying my designs,” he said.  “It’s such a pity because I am not the only one who has experienced this. It’s hard to accept the fact that the idea came from me but the profits end up going to people who pirated my idea.” — JP