False cover dupes buyers

People are being fooled into believing that a DVD on sale at the open-air markets portraying the cover of The Da Vinci Code is an advance copy of the controversial film.

Instead, the DVD is nothing more than a French documentary about how the story of The Da Vinci Code originated.

In a statement, the Association Against Copyright Theft said it intended to bring the matter to the attention of other members, including the Motion Picture Association.

The DVD, selling at Lm2, is wrapped in a sleeve that gives the impression that the material inside is the film, but in reality the content is a French documentary dubbed in English entitled The Da Vinci Code - Where It All Began.

The sleeve itself is full of contraventions in that it carries a false censorship certificate and the picture, artists' names, title logo as well as the Sony name is also infringing trademark laws.

"AACT deplores the fact that persons that have been raided by the police so many times, that have also been charged in court so frequently during past years continue to sell illegitimate products openly with the authorities seemingly unable to do anything," the association said.

The association regretted that the EU Copyright directive, which should have been in place within local laws by April 30, 2006, has not yet been implemented.

When contacted, KRS manager Alex Pace said the latest incident shows that unscrupulous retailers were once again cashing in on piracy.

"This shows these same people don't care about justice, the government, the laws, the film industry, anything. They have no respect for anybody," Mr Pace protested.

KRS sent a representative to buy a copy of The Da Vinci Code from the Monti and was told to return within half an hour to buy one. When he went back the next day to lament that it was not the film starring Tom Hanks, he was told it was "just the first part."

The Da Vinci Code is to be released in local cinemas on May 24, with a preview on the previous day.

The story is based on the murder of a museum curator who reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected since the days of Christ.

The release of the film is mired in controversy, especially after a petition made the rounds requesting the authorities to ban the film.