The sales of pirated music CD's have posted a record 1.1 billion units in 2003, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said in a recent release.
It is estimated that one in three CDs bought by customers worldwide, in 2003, was a pirate copy, with a street value of more than $ 4.5 billion, nearly 15 per cent worth of the global record market.
In the Middle East, cassettes remain the most popular pirated music carrier. However, optical discs piracy is clearly on the rise. Lebanon registered the highest level of music piracy in the region with 70 per cent followed by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Stefan Krawczyk, IFPI Director Middle East & North Africa told The Khaleej Times: "Piracy is robbing countries of billions of dollars in investment and taxes. Combating high levels of piracy in the Middle East region is a priority for the international recording industry as the region's highly creative music culture is being decimated, especially with the advent of new technologies like the CD-R that make piracy easier. We call on the governments in the region to resort to truly effective and sustained enforcement, enact deterrent sentences against copyright thieves, assure effective regulation of optical disc manufacturing and, above all, demonstrate the political will to make sure real change happens."
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
