Mumbai: Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group's entertainment conglomerate has been awarded a certification by the UK's industry body, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).

The UK-based FACT was established in 1983 to protect and represent the interests of the film and broadcasting industry against copyright and trademark infringements. The organisation works closely with statutory law enforcement agencies to combat the growth of pirate DVDs, film and other forms of broadcast material including the increasing threat from online/internet based piracy.

FACT has been accepted as a prosecution authority and engages in criminal prosecutions in its own right. The maximum penalty for offences of film piracy is 10 years imprisonment and / or an unlimited fine. Proceeds of Crime Act legislation now also enables confiscation of assets and goods obtained through criminal activity. Losses from piracy to the UK audio-visual sector were £459 million in 2006.

Adlabs now has the onerous distinction of being the first motion picture services facility in India and Asia to be awarded the certification.

A number of film service companies in the UK and across Europe are now accredited by FACT, assuring studios and film-makers that they are dealing with a secure facility. The Adlabs award also marks a first in FACT's 25-year history, as it is the first time that it has accredited a company outside the UK and Europe.

In a statement, Adlabs said that the certification is recognition of efforts made by Adlabs to protect and safeguard the films that it handles from piracy. It applies to Adlabs' film processing and print lab, Digital Lab, Digital Cinema Mastering facility as well as Adlabs' preview theatre, all housed within its Film City premises in Mumbai.

Anil Arjun, chief executive officer of Adlabs Films said, ''Security is a serious issue for the filmed entertainment business with conservative estimates of revenue loss due to piracy in Asia-Pacific amounting to $1.2 billion annually. Protection of software is film makers' key concern and the facility has been planned from the ground up to put security first. We are happy that our efforts in this direction have been acknowledged by a prestigious industry body.''

Speaking on behalf of FACT, Accreditation Manager Jackie Lover said, ''Having examined its operation in great detail, FACT is pleased to award Adlabs membership of its accreditation scheme.''

Lover pointed out that ''the fight against piracy and film theft is increasingly an international effort and we welcome the inclusion of more international film businesses such as Adlabs that have demonstrated that they are taking copyright protection seriously.''

Shankar Dutta, President - Motion Picture Processing & Allied Services of Adlabs said, ''We are extremely proud to have won this recognition for our efforts to protect our clients' films at all times, but we will not rest on our laurels. Instead we will continue to improve and strengthen our defence of the films and work carried out on our premises.''

Adlabs has interests in film processing, DI services, and television content and is India's largest cinema chain with over 390 screens across US, India and Malaysia.