We all know that companies and organisations keep complaining about normal people who copy cd's and dvd's at home; costing lots of money to the music/video/software/game industries. Besides often the figures are "fake", there are way bigger players in this game...
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) last month obtained a Summary Judgment against Media Group, a Fremont, CA-based CD manufacturing plant, and its president for direct copyright infringement. The court found the company liable for infringing 1,547 works that were owned by RIAA members, since opening its doors in 1995. Judge Cooper made her decision based on the evidence that RIAA anti-piracy personnel provided its educational training on piracy to Media Group. The judge found that Media Group did not adhere to the RIAA's suggested practice of both looking at and listening to CD orders before replicating them. |
The RIAA said its anti-piracy personnel found that Media Group reproduced and distributed copyrighted material from such high-profile artists as Madonna, Santana, P. Diddy, James Brown and Elvis Presley among others. A trial has been set for October to determine damages. Media Group, the U.S. operation of Taiwanese parent company Media Press, is a worldwide ISO 9002, WAMO-certified CD and DVD replicator with annual capacity of 25 million CDs and 15 million DVDs
As you can see, these are the people who are really doing a lot of harm.... reproducing cd's and dvd's so they look like they are original ones, that's what the industries should fear. They can sell their "products" without letting the people know they are buying fake material.
Are they wrong? Yes, in my opinion they are. Although cd prices are way to high, they are earning millions and millions without giving any to the performers (e.g. Madonna). Personnally, I think that this shouldn't be allowed. Producing a CD for own use (that's what we all do) ain't nothing wrong with (I never would have bought the original anyway, so this is a good thing -artists get a little money from every CDR sold and it's a way of advertising-). But... copying these discs for commercial purposes... wrong... if you want an original, pay for it. Otherwhise just copy!
Source: Medialine News
