New Delhi, Oct 29 (ANI): The biggest competitor faced by both Hollywood and Bollywood in India is piracy, said Dan Glickman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) at a CII meeting here on Monday.

"The film industry needs strong laws to support copyright, strong enforcement of those laws, stiff sentences for people who violate those laws and most important, an understanding by ordinary citizens, the people who love movies, that buying pirated movies hurts the industry and makes it difficult for movie makers to make new films," Glickman said, adding that in India, the MPA has been actively fighting piracy for last ten years.

Appreciating the effort by Indian counterpart, he said that Hyderabad Film Chambers worked with the Andhra Pradesh Government to create India's first dedicated court to oversee film piracy cases. Modulated enforcement, technology, delivery of exciting new services and public education are the essential elements of a graduated approach to fight intellectual property theft, he said.

"We have created a 'best practices' roadmap for university computer network usage and in many countries MPA and MPA member company executives speak to university students about copyright and its importance", he said.

MPA has created a booklet warning about the risks of peer-to-peer file sharing, which has been distributed to young people, he added.

Glickman further said that the evolution of on-demand world and the new and enhanced power of consumer choice were impacting the habits and preferences of the audience, adding that moviemakers must turn out quality movies with compelling and entertaining stories that audiences want to see.

"We in the industry must anticipate and respond to change, recognizing that technology is turning out to offer far more opportunity than adversity", he added.

Pointing out that the value of partnership between Hollywood and Bollywood was meaningful, Glickman said that American film producers were forging relationships that they hope would let them tell stories to Indian audiences. (ANI)