The largest CD replicating plant in the Baltic States, Baltic Optical Disc, has been ordered to pay a coalition of record companies a €500,000 payout after a Lithuanian court ruled the plant was guilty of music piracy. The civil action was brought by the public prosecutor and 13 members of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) over large scale pirate CD manufacture in 2001.

The claim stemmed from police and customs' seizures of more than 210,000 pirate CDs containing a mix of predominantly international and Polish repertoire. Forensic experts at IFPI traced the origin of the illegal discs, found in Vilnius and on the Czech/Polish border, back to the Baltic Optical Disc factory. This conclusion was confirmed by investigators at the Lithuanian government’s forensic laboratories.

"This is a landmark victory that sets a precedent which should be a warning to the operators of replicating plants everywhere who produce copyright CDs without authorization from the rightsowners," Jo Oliver, Vice President, Litigation and Regulatory Affairs at IFPI. "The judgment sends a strong message across the region that copyright law will be enforced wherever it is abused. At a time when nearly one in three CDs sold worldwide is a fake, the industry welcomes the damages awarded by the court. It has never been more important to crack down on these activities that hurt all those who invest in the creative process."

The judge ruled that Baltic Optical Disc should pay €494,000 in compensation to the record companies whose repertoire was pirated, as well as more than €5,000 in costs. The court imposed the maximum compensation award it could, given the numbers of discs manufactured.

Source:
Press Release