The decision is final. The request of videoclubs and record dealers for a two-year moratorium before being forced to sell or rent original CDs, DVDs or VCDs has been turned down. A meeting between the attorney general, Rama Valayden, the minister of Arts and Culture, Mahendra Gowreessoo and Gérard Louise, director of the Mauritius Society of Authors (Masa) has sealed their fate. Either they deal only with originals in their shops or they close down.

The Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit has been leading an intense campaign during which it has seized a large number of copies in videoclubs. Some 400 of them even had to close down for three days. Even if they had been granted the authorisation to open again, they would have lasted only a short while.

The director of Masa explains. ?Such a moratorium would be illegal. To grant it, we must have the consent of the beneficiaries as well as of the copyright companies where they are registered.? As this appears difficult to achieve, the government has chosen not to provide any moratorium and has even warned that it will be ?inflexible? as from now.

The only solution for these videoclubs is now to rent originals of French or American movies. But they have already outlined the financial difficulties this would involve.

They would need about Rs 12,000 for each movie they want to offer to their customers; how much would they have to charge to rent such movies? Moreover, almost all originals of these movies are on DVDs and most people in Mauritius only have VCD players.

Even though the government wants pirated products to be banned from the market, it intends to help owners find a solution. Gérard Louise has been asked to contact several institutions like the International Association to fight against piracy or the Mauritian Picture Association to facilitate access to originals.

<B>Rental rights to be applied</B>

But there is another problem to be solved. Even if owners could buy movies at more affordable prices, they would have to pay for rental rights. The Masa and the government will also have to deal with this aspect of the affair. For Indian movies ? most of which are originals in Mauritius ? the fee should be about Rs 100 or a percentage on each rent; but the authorities have no precise idea of such fees for European or American movies?

A lot of videoshops may have to close down, which will make customers unhappy. But this move will certainly benefit the country?s reputation by avoiding a mini-scandal like the Ralph Lauren one where the American authorities had to step in?