The music industry is claiming victory one year on from the launch of a campaign to curb CD piracy.
This is despite the cost to the local industry of illegal copying, or "burning" rising from $95 million last year to $114 million this year.
But organisers of the campaign said today the
first year was about education, and the message is getting through.
A survey of 500 people aged between 15 and 44 has found 20 per cent of people had copied a music CD and 3.25 per cent of those people had done it for sale.
Most people burn music for private use, for a friend or a family member and generally think it is acceptable to copy for private use but not to sell.
Nine per cent of the people surveyed had been offered a copied CD - which can be priced from $5 to $10 - although among the 15-19 age group, 17 per cent had been offered an illegal copy.
The music was generally offered at schools, universities, home or a friend's house, the survey found.
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand said the campaign set out to educate people and its effect in dollar terms might not be seen for up to four years.
The association, which represents major and minor record labels, is poised to take three private prosecutions for copyright infringement against people involved in large scale copying and selling.
Association chief executive Terence O'Neill-Joyce said it was still difficult to raise police interest in the crime, although some police districts had become more vigilant in the past year.
In many cases - such as nightclub djs using copied music - the association had settled out of court and licensed people so they can use the music for a fee.
Michael Glading, head of music giant Sony in New Zealand and RIANZ president, rejected the idea of reducing the price of CDs to combat the illegal trade.
"It simply wouldn't work and that would be a 'band aid' approach. You've got to change people's attitudes."
- HERALD STAFF
