James Delahunty
2 Jun 2007 8:58
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) published a statement on its website yesterday concerning the European Commission's publication of 2006 Customs seizures of counterfeit and pirate goods. In 2006, over 23 million counterfeit CDs and DVDs were seized at European borders by customs, according to the European Commission.
The level of seizures increased 139% compared to 2005. The EC reports that over 93% of all pirated products seized came from China, a huge increase form 51% in 2005. "These statistics underscore the urgent need for the EU to step up pressure on China before the WTO. China is producing and exporting millions of pirate products around the world. This has to stop," Frances Moore, IFPI Regional Director for Europe, said.
IFPI estimates that a third of all CDs purchased in 2005 were pirate – 1.2 billion pirate CDs in total. The global traffic of pirate CDs was worth US$4.5 billion in 2005 based on pirate prices.
Source:
Press Release