Mirage or Reality?

What's so special about this shanty corner shop in a bizarre-ambient, narrowly-laned and outdatedly-decorated shopping mall in Fatmahwati,Jakarta, selling (no doubt pirated) DVDs, like many other equally shanty little shops in the mall? Each DVD is sold at under US$1 and, unlike the mall decor, they are anything but outdated. The movies are most recent and cater to the wide spectrum of market segments, including the kids. The eagerly awaited "High School Musical 2" was readily available here, not far off from the school summer season as this part 2 is about, when its legal release through the likes of HMV and Hong Kong Records in Hong Kong was yet to be known. And the merchandise from the Jakarta mall is no cheap quality at all, as are those from the countless number of DVD shops across Indonesia, not least those popular ones in the tourist hot spot of Bali offering the additional incentive for purchase of buy 10 get 1 free.

Whatever priorities the Indonesia Customs may have, infringement of intellectual property rights is certainly not high, if at all, on the list. For right or wrong, however, this proliferation of fire-sale shops is not incongruous with the country's economic status - developing. On a positive note, they spur on enterprenuerism, create employment and stimulate cultural senses and possibly sensibility. With these otherwise luxurious products offered at an affordable price, even consummerism is entertained in cities of mostly poverty.