Singapore, 13 January 2009 – Engagement is the key to obtaining deeper insights. To spread the anti-piracy message and to encourage youths’ involvement, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is organising its first anti-piracy trailer contest.
Since 2004, anti-piracy trailers have been screened in cinemas by the HIP (Honour Intellectual Property) Alliance, which is a key initiative by IPOS to advocate anti-piracy messages to the public. Findings from the inaugural 2006 perception survey further proved that public screening of anti-piracy trailers is an effective channel as 60% of the respondents recalled seeing these anti-piracy trailers at the cinemas.
Students studying in local Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education who are aspiring to be film-makers now have a chance to showcase their creativity in this contest. Supported by the Motion Picture Association-International (MPA), the contest will enable participants to pick up useful tips in a workshop on making short video clips. Emphasizing the theme of “Perils of piracy”, participants will have their creative works judged by film industry and IP professionals. The sharing of their creative output as part of the activities will be an acknowledgment of their IP, which will in turn reinforce the importance of respecting IP.
“Public involvement in creating such a trailer will enable participants to gain deeper insights on how the creative industry is harmed by piracy, and to creatively interpret and express anti-piracy messages. This will strongly reinforce IPOS’ public outreach efforts in recent years to engage the public in IP awareness promotion to respect IP. We are positive that the trailers made by our young creative talents will resonate better with the general public” said Ms. Liew Woon Yin, Director-General of IPOS.
Mike Ellis, President and Managing Director, Asia-Pacific Region, MPA said, “This is yet another excellent initiative by IPOS that is completely in line with the goals of our outreach efforts. The contest engages the imagination and passion of our young people and provides them with a platform to create original audiovisual content. At the same time, it reinforces the importance of respecting the intellectual property that results from such a creative process. We are proud to be a part of this initiative.”
For details of the contest, log on to www.ipos.gov.sg/antipiracytrailer. Registration closes on 30 Jan 2009.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Adeline Ho (Ms)
Public Outreach Department
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID: +65 6331 6565
Fax: +65 6331 6562
Email: adeline_ho@ipos.gov.sg
Tan Mei Jue (Ms)
Public Relations Department
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID: +65 6331 6581
Fax: +65 6331 6562
Email: tan_mei_jue@ipos.gov.sg
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), a statutory board under the Ministry of Law since April 2001, is the lead government agency that advises on and administers intellectual property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the development of IP in Singapore. With IP fast becoming a critical resource in today’s new economy, IPOS’s vision is to foster a creative Singapore where ideas and intellectual efforts are valued, developed and exploited. More information on IPOS can be found on www.ipos.gov.sg.
HIP stands for Honour Intellectual Property. It is IPOS’ key educational initiative to encourage innovation and creativity in Singapore, with strong support from the private sector, public sector and industry associations. HIP aims to promote a positive attitude towards IP and encourages a Pro-IP lifestyle for everyone to ‘Be Creative, Be Original, and Be HIP’. With support from the HIP Alliance members, IPOS intends to motivate the Singapore community to join together to ‘Say No to Piracy’ and support legitimate businesses that create legitimate products and services to make Singapore an IP safe country. For more information, please visit www.hipfriends.org.sg.
The Motion Picture Association and Motion Picture Association - International (MPA) represent the interests of major motion picture companies in the global marketplace. On behalf of its member companies, the MPA conducts investigations around the world, assists with the criminal and civil litigation generated by such cases, and conducts education outreach programs to teach movie fans around the world about the harmful effects of piracy. The MPA directs its worldwide anti-piracy operations from its headquarters based in Los Angeles, California and has regional offices located in Brussels (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Sao Paulo (Latin America), Montreal (Canada) and Singapore (Asia-Pacific). The MPA’s anti-piracy activities have helped to transform entire markets from pirate to legitimate, benefiting video distributors, retailers, and foreign and local filmmakers alike. The MPA member companies include: Buena Vista International, Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation; Twentieth Century Fox International Corporation; Universal International Films, Inc.; and Warner Bros. Pictures International, a division of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. For more information about the MPA, please visit www.mpa-i.org.