BANGALORE: The Indian Music Industry (IMI) will launch the Music Mobile Exchange (MMX), an initiative to curb mobile chip piracy in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and New Delhi, over the next few weeks.

IMI Secretary General Savio D'Souza said, Since its inception, MMX has generated around 90 million by way of license fees from the three states that it has been launched – Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and West Bengal. IMI currently has on board 52 record labels including some very big players in the Indian Music players, however, conspicuous by their absence are some big names like T-Series, Yash Raj and Times Music. IMI is in the process of getting more local music labels on board in the states that it is planning to launch MMX. To create awareness about the license, IMI has been using local newspaper in the states that it has launched MMX.

Mobile chip piracy attracts provisions of the Copyright Act under Sections 51, 63, 65 & 68A. By opting the license shopkeepers can become legitimate music right holders and sell music without violating the Copyright Act. The license can be taken for a period of 1-3 years at a cost ranging from Rs 1500- 5,000 per month/per computer depending on the kind of shop and location of the shop. An independent survey conducted by IMI indicates that an average shopkeeper earns Rs 7500-12500 each month by music downloads and other music applications thus making the licence fee a reasonable amount and a profitable business for the shop owners.

IMI has around 20,000 piracy cases pending in courts in the country and is adding about 3500 cases per year through raids.