Introduction
FAQ
MP3 and Internet Threat
Industry Reaction & Strategies
Piracy in numbers
Glossary
Related Links

Introduction

The term piracy is generally used to describe the deliberate infringement of a copyright on a commercial scale. Compact disc piracy became a global problem in the 1990’s because the technology of duplicating CDs developed rapidly, making CDs a quicker, easier, and cheaper product to duplicate than most other forms of sound recording. The pirates or counterfeits are shipped around the world through complicated distribution channels for sales, making the place of origin difficult to determine. The sales of these pirates not only infringe upon the rights of the artist involved, but also create unfair competition at every level of the industry supply chain. As of 1998, pirate sales made up 33% of global music sales.