It has been yet another merry Christmas on Pirates’ Island. The last weeks of December have been a real boon for counterfeit goods in Mauritius. The hordes of shoppers once again launched themselves into a frenzy for illicit CDs, DVDs, garments, toys, cosmetics and jewellery. Sales have reached record heights while the words “trademark” and “copyright” seem to have vanished forever from our vocabulary.

Over the past five years, the authorities have dealt with the problem haphazardly. A special squad was created in 2001 to curb the proliferation of fake products but it has barely “delivered the goods”. Thousands of illegal music and video copies may have been seized but they represent a mere drop in the pirates’ ocean. Sellers of fake CDs, VCDs and DVDs swarm in the streets of the big towns and villages – very often bang in front of police stations.There is a boom in both demand and supply.

Mauritius has a serious issue with piracy, and it is mostly an attitude problem. Customers flock to buy fakes from street hawkers and shops alike. The main attraction is the price. Quality does not really matter. Some of us seem perfectly happy to watch a movie that has been illegally videotaped in a theatre – complete with crowd murmurs and people walking across with popcorn bags. No one seems to care about the effects of piracy either. True, the sale of illicit copies has caused a boom in the sale of VCD and DVD players. They allow Mauritians to have access to entertainment they would never have afforded otherwise. However, it is also a fact that many cinemas are closing down. No major artist fancies leading a gig in Mauritius because he does not want to fuel sales of counterfeit merchandise. Thousands of illicit goods are entering the country every week. Everyone seems to be turning a blind eye, even if the country’s reputation is at stake.

Networks have been flourishing in broad daylight for more than two decades. Successive governments have hesitated to tackle the issue for purely political reasons. The result is an extremely hot situation that no one can handle. The newly appointed minister has promised a stricter law but will it end in the same drawer as the Food Act ? It seems unlikely for government to sanction a move that will force Mauritians to buy originals at five times the price of fakes. Especially at a time when the government is unfairly under fire for consecutive price hikes.

Pirates’ Island is a real mess. Last week, the smugglers reminded us who was ruling the place: two street hawkers assaulted Jean-Alain Résidu, a local singer, whose only fault was to defend his rights when he saw illegal copies of his album. The street hawkers are just the tip of the iceberg. After all, most of them are no longer hawkers but full-fledged importers and businessmen. A real mafia runs the show behind the curtains. The time of the godfathers should be running out as every country of the world, including notorious hotbeds like Thailand, tackles piracy. The nonchalance of Mauritians is surprising. No problem in Mauritius. Welcome to Pirates’ Paradise.