dministrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has sparked public outrage after sharing links of Indonesian movies, which were illegally uploaded to YouTube by irresponsible parties, on social media.
Among the movies are Cut Nyak Dien, Sang Kiai (The Cleric) and Kartini, which tell stories about the country's heroes and heroines.
Tjahjo, who shared the links through his Twitter account, @tjahjo_kumolo, on Sunday, has apologized and deleted the tweet after receiving protests, particularly from the country's renowned filmmaker Joko Anwar.
"Dear film director Joko Anwar, I got the links from WhatsApp [messages] and was moved to share them on Twitter as we're in the middle of celebrating Indonesia's Independence Day. For that I apologize," the minister tweeted on Monday.
Yth Bp JokoAnwar Sutradara Film Perjuangan - sy mendpt kiriman WA koleksi film Perj. tsb - mengingat Hari Kemerdekaan RI - saya berbagi saja kpd Group via Twitts - mohon maaf kalau sy salah dan khilaf - kalau sy hrs membayar krn sy berbagi sy siap semampu saya, dmk Trims
— TJAHJO KUMOLO (@tjahjo_kumolo) August 17, 2020
Previously, Joko on his account, @jokoanwar, tweeted his disappointment over the minister’s slip on sharing the links. The film director said many of the movies were uploaded to YouTube without the consent of the copyright owners.
"There's no point in celebrating the country's 75th anniversary if we still violate the rights of others, for whatever reason," he said, adding that it was impossible to educate the public about "intellectual property rights" to fight rampant piracy if the government had no awareness about it.
Joko's tweet has received more than 2,000 likes so far and has been retweeted by at least 1,200 users.
Banyak tautan yg dibagikan di sini diunggah secara ilegal tanpa ijin pemilik hak cipta filmnya.
Gak ada gunanya kita merayakan 75 tahun merdeka kalau mengambil hak orang lain, apapun alasannya.
Gak mungkin juga mengedukasi rakyat ttg HAKI kalau pemerintahnya aja gak paham. pic.twitter.com/P5hL1VZcrW
— Joko Anwar (@jokoanwar) August 17, 2020
A twitter user, @visitingkaiju, said he was waiting for the government's next move to better protect intellectual property rights as many people were still violating them.
"Stop [piracy]! Every piece of work is supposed to give benefits to its creator in accordance with the value it provides to consumers," he said.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.
Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.