By LOUISA CLEAVE
The cost of CD piracy to the local music industry has risen from $95 million to $114 million since a campaign was launched to combat illegal copying.
However, the industry says its campaign to educate people about CD burning has been a success and it will continue to
spread the message next year.
Organisers of the BRN & GTBRNT campaign yesterday said the economic benefit might not be seen for up to four years.
The Recording Industry Association said a survey it had commissioned of 500 people aged between 15 and 44 found 20 per cent had copied a music CD, and 3.25 per cent of them had done it for sale.
The survey found most people burn music for private use, for a friend or a family member - and generally they 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.
Among the 15 to 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.
Nearly 50 per cent of people surveyed were aware of the campaign, mainly from TV commercials and stickers on CD covers.
The survey will be used as a benchmark to judge the effect of the campaign.
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.
The association chief executive, Terence O'Neill-Joyce, said it was still difficult to raise police interest in the crime.
However, 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 could use the music for a fee.
Michael Glading, the head of music giant Sony in New Zealand and association 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."
