Piracy costs music biz $4.5bn

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...c_biz__4_5bn_1

Thu Jul 22, 5:19 AM ET

Gordon Masson, STAFF

LONDON -- Illegal music sales accounted for $4.5 billion during 2003, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) claimed Thursday. (Note: claimed, nothing about it being actual fact, so for all we know they may just be bullshitting us!)

The trade organisation, which represents the interests of more than 1,450 record companies around the world, estimates that a record 1.1 billion pirated CDs were sold globally last year, representing 35% of all music disc sales. But IFPI believes it is winning its battle against the pirates and claims the spread of piracy is waning.

Blaming piracy on "organized crime, government apathy and corruption", IFPI singled out 10 specific countries - 4 in Asia, 3 in Latin America and 3 in Europe - where wholesale anti-piracy offensives are most urgently needed. (Comment: Organized crime? What the fuck are you people talking about? Probably some pimple-faced geek with no money selling the CDs)

Publishing its Commercial Piracy Report 2004, IFPI made a 4-point call to governments asking for: strong and up to date copy-right laws; proper deterrent sentencing of pirates; regulation of disc manufacturing; and commitment to prosecute copyright crime aggressively.

Naming and shaming 10 priority countries where it says governments urgently need to crack down on rampant illegal music sales, IFPI's report outlines new evidence of suspected involvement in piracy by government, judiciary and civil service employees. (Note: Evidence of suspected involvement. So it's only suspection, not really 100% fact again)

The 10 rogue nations are: Brazil, China, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Ukraine. In terms of value, the list is topped by China, where IFPI says the pirate market is worth nearly $600 million. (Comment: Where the fuck is America? We steal shitloads more ;] But whatever. 600 million bucks? That's a lot, but the thing is, is it really costing you to lose money? I have yet to see actual evidence that you are losing money)

In a statement IFPI chairman/CEO Jay Berman said: "This illegal trade is funding organized crime, fuelling widespread corrup-tion and costing governments hundreds of millions of dollars in lost taxes. It is destroying artist careers and music cultures, and robbing countries with high piracy rates of billions of dollars of investment they would otherwise enjoy." (Comment: Music shouldn't just be about money, it should be about just playing. People are still going to pay for your concerts and CDs. Also, we're destroying artist careers? Really? So you mean Brit. Speares will no longer have the newest Jet plane, so she'll have to go with a model of last year's? OH TEH NOEZ! POOR SLUTNEY SLUTS! Puff Daddy needs to buy a new handgun with a gold handle instead of silver, but can only afford a fake gold handle. OH TEH NOEZ! POOR PUFF DADDY!)

Despite the record piracy figures, the situation would have been worse had it not been for IFPI's anti piracy investigators who, during the year, helped seize industrial scale CD-making equipment with the capacity to produce 300 million discs - equivalent to the legitimate CD markets of France and Germany combined.

My opinion on this: Quit your damn bitching, you are the people actually ripping off the musical artists. You cheat them out of royalties and then you threaten to take more royalties away if they don't go along with your little "Illegal MP3s hurt us and cost us to lose money". Signing off on this, I'm Kagom Jack.

Didn't bother to read it. Someone give a compressed version.

You people are lazy -_-

Compressed for you: IFPI is claiming that they are losing 4.5bn dollars. It's all based on "I suspect" and "We claim", but no "Here is cold-hard evidence for you all". They suck.

This isn't so much about pirated MP3s so much as it is about CDs being sold, made up of those MP3s. To put it in terms other than music: Imagine a store where you can buy StarCraft on a burnt CD and a cheap plastic jewel case, all for 25 cents. Now imagine that this sort of store is common all around the country, and you have a problem. This is HUGE in China.

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It certainly isn't an "just an opinion" that this sort of thing hurts the industry. Since I don't listen to music much, I really don't care though.

(Comment: Where the fuck is America? We steal shitloads more ;] But whatever. 600 million bucks? That's a lot, but the thing is, is it really costing you to lose money? I have yet to see actual evidence that you are losing money)

In this case, it's pretty obvious that money's being lost. 4.5 billion dollars that people were WILLING TO SPEND, but it didn't go to the CD industry - it went to the pirates. YARRR

Plus, America doesn't have the kind of stores that I mentioned, so it's not on the list.

Something about SLUTNEY SLUTS

Yeah, but this one isn't about the artists, again - it's about copies of CDs being sold in a rather public manner.

My opinion on this: Quit your damn bitching, you are the people actually ripping off the musical artists. You cheat them out of royalties and then you threaten to take more royalties away if they don't go along with your little "Illegal MP3s hurt us and cost us to lose money". Signing off on this, I'm Kagom Jack.

They aren't the RIAA, though according to their website they're "closely affiliated". This is an international thing.

4.5 Billion? AWESOME! We are doing our job!

Keep up the good work people!

W00T, good job people keep on pirating music.

Going to download some more its now 4.5 billion plus.

Come on people. Don't you realize who you are really hurting buy downloading music instead of actually paying for it? How are you going to feel when 50 cent can't pay his 30inch rims off on his 4th H2 (cause bitch, real playas have all da colors)? I don't think you want that kind of grief on your shoulders. What about starving artists like Baby of the cash money millionaires? Yes millionaires, it really should be billionaires but you broke bastards started downloading and now he had to put the platinum fronts on layaway. What a shame.

Support you local starving rapper/pimp. Every song you download puts a “ding in the bling”.

rofl, I feel so bad now. Nice work kockblocker1.

If a group is big enough to actualy have their music on the internet in MP3 form, then clearly they are already making money, I still buy CDs if I actualy like most of the songs on it, even if I already have them all or can get them all on my computer, I like to pay my respects to the artist, but mostly I just download, and if I didn't they still wouldn't be seeing the money.