The film industry in Indonesia has been growing during the last several decades. One of the significant factors that influence this sector is technology development. The emergence of new internet technologies has made video content accessible to mass audiences, providing entertainment and education. However, the implication of new technologies has caused several problems. This essay discusses that the impact of technology development on the Indonesian film industry has both positive and negative aspects, enabling better circulation of information, and, at the same time, causing disputes about copyright and ownership.
First, the emergence of the internet and the possibility to watch streaming video has opened various video content for a wide range of people. It has increased the potential of this branch of the creative industry, bringing to it both attention and financial investments (Alexandri, Arifianti, & Auliana, 2019). It has resulted in greater availability of entertainment and in the possibility to promote ideas and educate a higher number of people. As Nurdin, Aini, Effendi, and Rahamad (2016) argue, at present, video is considered by Islamic activists as a vehicle to promote religious values. They state that “although Muslims are the majority, they are considered weak in all realms,” and discuss “the rise of Islamic values” that has become possible due to digital media (Nurdi et al., 2016, p. 459). Considering these facts, the positive influence of technology development becomes evident.
However, the rise of digital technologies has caused problems related to copyright and ownership. Many streaming video channels have made video content protected by copyright available, which has caused claims from the side of film producers. These websites and their actions cannot be controlled by the government, and the cases of piracy become difficult to track. As a result, in 2015, the Ministry of Communication and Information of Indonesia blocked several websites (Wibowo, 2019). At present, only a few of them are considered legal, including Netflix, Iflix, Viu, Mox, Hooq, and Genflixa (Wibowo, 2019, p. 248). These problems demonstrate the difficulties that accompany technological progress in the film industry.
To conclude, it may be argued that the positive impact of the development of technology on the video industry in Indonesia during the last decade cannot be overestimated, it has provided more convenient and accessible video content for the people. However, some problems accompany the progress in this field. Understanding these controversies would be the step towards eliminating them.
References
Alexandri, M. B., Arifianti, R., & Auliana, L. (2019). Creative industries: Film industries’ strategies in indonesia. Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research, 8, 248-257.
Nurdin, M. F., Aini, F., Effendi, V., & Rahamad, V. S. B. (2016). The rise of Islamic values in media: a three dimensions analysis of film industry in Indonesia. Journalism and Mass Communication, 6 (8), 455-468.
Wibowo, T. O. (2019). Understanding movie streaming websites in Indonesia as unlimited movie access in the digital era. Malaysian Journal of Communication, 35(2), 247-259.