A new bill, the Optical Disc Bill 2000 (ODB2000), received the Cabinet’s go-ahead late last month, to be tabled when the Parliament reconvenes in April. The aim of ODB2000, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, is the eradication of piracy in the country. This new bill, which is modeled on Hong Kong’s Prevention of Copyright Ordinance 1998, if passed, will require manufacturers to acquire licensing from the Ministry of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs (MDTCA) in addition to licensing from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).
According to the Minister, this dual licensing is to regulate the manufacturing of optical discs and provide better protection involving their production and copyright. Muhyiddin said that parties who have already obtained a licence from MITI would be given six (6) months to apply to his Ministry after the bill has been passed. Companies previously exempted from the Industrial Court Relations Act, for
