Digital Piracy: D’Ayu Pictures CEO Will Take Legal Action Against Offenders

December 27, 2024 – “I will sue them; that’s the end of it.” These were the firm words of the CEO of D’Ayu Pictures Sdn Bhd, Mr. Azaromi Ghozali, expressing his frustration upon discovering that the movie WARUGA: Curse of Black Magic, produced by D’Ayu Pictures and directed by him, was leaked on the TikTok platform.

The film was first released in local cinemas on February 15, 2024, and later entered the Southeast Asian market, receiving overwhelming support in Cambodia. “After its theatrical run, the film was distributed to TV platforms like Astro First and Netflix,” explained Azaromi, also known as Romi.

He expressed his disappointment with the behavior of certain individuals who were willing to steal the hard work of others for personal gain. These individuals are often referred to as Digital Criminals.

Dato’ Rosmarayu Mokhtar, the Managing Director of D’Ayu Pictures, said in a phone interview that she fully supports reporting all forms of digital crime that infringe on the company’s intellectual property. Currently in Jakarta for business, she was shocked upon being informed about the digital piracy.

“I fully support Romi’s actions in fulfilling his responsibility as the CEO of D’Ayu Pictures to protect the company’s interests. I hope this move serves as a lesson to prevent such incidents from recurring in the Malaysian film industry.”

The Malaysian government has passed amendments to the Copyright Act (Amendment) 2022, which propose that individuals or businesses engaging in or facilitating copyright violations through streaming technology will face legal action.

The new amendments introduce penalties for streaming-related offenses, with fines ranging from RM10,000 to RM200,000, up to 20 years imprisonment, or both. The following are criminal offenses:

• The sale, promotion, or importation of illegal streaming devices (ISD) that enable viewing of copyrighted content.
• Offering or distributing downloadable apps that allow viewing of copyrighted content without authorization.
• Hosting websites that provide access to copyrighted works without permission.
• Sharing links via WhatsApp or other social media platforms that enable access to copyrighted works without authorization.
• Sharing hyperlinks to pirated content on websites.

Azaromi Ghozali also filed a police report today at the Bandar Baru Bangi Police Station to initiate legal action against the individuals involved. When asked, he declined to disclose the names or accounts of those responsible, stating that he would leave the matter to his legal team.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t reveal their identities at this stage as this will now be handled by the lawyers. My advice to these digital thieves is to find a more honest way of earning a living instead of stealing from others. Think about the producers who invest money and the workers and actors who put in long hours to bring these stories to life.”

One of the detected social media accounts had garnered extraordinary traction, with 1.1 million views. According to Romi:

“If those 1.1 million views were converted into cinema tickets at RM20 each, the film would have grossed RM22 million. I understand that it’s not easy to satisfy audiences in cinemas, nor can we force them to buy tickets and watch the movie.”

Romi also emphasized that many people want to watch content for free, unknowingly aiding criminals who carry out digital piracy. Besides this film, several other local films have also fallen victim to piracy, which may go unnoticed by the respective production companies.

The public is advised not to support digital piracy to ensure the continued growth and success of the film industry.