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British Industry Points to Growing Physical Piracy

Major labels in the UK are facing a growing physical piracy problem, and are warning holiday buyers to beware. Industry trade association BPI noted that counterfeit sales have increased 37 percent over 2004, fueled by ubiquitous broadband connections and CD burners. According to the agency, the issue is now costing labels £37 million ($64 million) in lost annual revenues. "Every week, thousands of British consumers will flock to boot fairs and markets looking for bargains," the trade group reported, while noting that cut-rate discs "may be unwittingly lining the pockets of unscrupulous traders involved in other areas of organized crime". The group underscored that counterfeiting "must be a bigger priority" for authorities in 2006.

The issue is also a big problem across the pond. Most recently, the RIAA launched lawsuits against several New York City retailers, demanding injunctions and fines for selling counterfeit product. That is part of a larger, multi-year effort that also involves the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Meanwhile, lesser-developed countries like Mexico have faced a near-meltdown in established industries because of the issue, a development that has pushed many record labels and retailers out of business.