IFPI NAMES TOP TEN HOST NATIONS FOR CD PIRACY

IFPI, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), has listed the top ten markets for pirated CDs in its new publication, the Commercial Piracy Report 2003. In alphabetical order they are Brazil, China, Mexico, Paraguay, Poland, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and the Ukraine. The criteria for inclusion in this list include the value of the pirate market in each country, the total size of the legitimate market and the year-on-year growth of the pirate and legitimate market from 2001 to 2002.

According to the report, sales of pirated CDs have more than doubled since 1999, from 510 million to more than one billion copies in 2002 with an estimated value of $4.6 billion in 2002, a 7% increase over 2001. The worst offending nation is China, according to the report, where more than 90% of all its recordings were pirated. China’s illegal music market is said to be worth more than $530 million.



To see the full report click here. For details of counterfeit CDs in China click here and here.