Post by Freddy C on Mar 6, 2008 21:42:53 GMT 1
RCMP Raid Shuts Down Massive Alleged Music Counterfeiting Operation in Winnipeg, Following Investigation by Canadian Recording Industry Association
Police file criminal charges against four people and seize more than
200,000 music CDs and DVDs
TORONTO, March 6 /CNW/ - Following a year-long investigation by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), the RCMP has shut down
Audiomaxxx.com Ltd., a major alleged music counterfeiting operation in
Winnipeg, and filed criminal charges against four individuals.
Raj Singh Ramgotra, the principal behind Audiomaxxx, was among those
arrested during a raid yesterday at the organization, which for three years
has allegedly manufactured pirated compact discs and hard core pornographic
videos, and distributed them throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe and Jamaica.
More recently, Audiomaxxx's offerings have also included allegedly pirated
digital downloads.
In addition to the arrests, police seized an enormous volume of suspected
counterfeit goods. This includes more than 200,000 music CDs and DVDs,
numerous movie DVDs and hundreds of thousands of blank discs. Police also
seized five CD/DVD burning towers, each with 12 burners, which together are
capable of burning well in excess of 10,000 CDs and DVDs a day. The raid also
netted several computers and hard drives, two commercial CD printers, four
colour copiers and other office equipment.
In the past 10 years, the raid closest in scale to the action against
Audiomaxxx involved the seizure of about 10,000 counterfeit music CDs and DVDs
- one-twentieth the volume netted yesterday.
More than 10 police officers were involved in yesterday's raid.
"We sincerely thank the RCMP officers who have worked so hard to bring
Audiomaxxx to heel, and to the federal prosecutors who have worked closely
with them," said Graham Henderson, President of the Canadian Recording
Industry Association. "Today's arrests send out a clear message that
commercial piracy will no longer be tolerated in Canada."
Audiomaxxx is suspected of being one of Canada's leading music
counterfeiters. In Toronto alone, approximately 30 percent of the pirated CDs
seized allegedly originate from the operation. CRIA estimates that, at
minimum, Audiomaxxx has been shipping tens of thousands of allegedly pirated
CDs each month.
CRIA has received dozens of complaints concerning the operation from
artists, music associations and music labels around the world, including
numerous small, independent labels. In the past, when faced with demands by
rights holders to cease its activities, Audiomaxxx has consistently ignored
the demands or failed to fully comply.
The operation appears to be highly developed, with a significant
catalogue of allegedly pirated CDs and music downloads offered for sale via
the website www.audiomaxxx.com, including copies of tracks by famous artists
like Shania Twain, Lionel Richie, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Nelly Furtado.
"The RCMP has again demonstrated that it stands side by side with artists
and rights holders in the fight against intellectual property crime," said
Randy Lennox, President and CEO of Universal Music Canada Ltd. and Chairman of
CRIA. "CRIA has a longstanding partnership with the RCMP and other police
forces in fighting piracy, and today we have taken a big step together to stop
one of the most flagrant examples of its kind in Canada."
Audiomaxxx's alleged piracy affects not just famous artists, but also new
and independent artists - largely in the reggae, soca and hip-hop community -
who are struggling to build careers. For example, Vancouver's Utopia Records,
one of the many independent labels to voice concerns, has seen new artist
albums appear on the Audiomaxxx website on the day an album is released in
stores or even before the legitimate launch date.
"The harm done by music piracy is especially troubling when it undermines
a promising artist's burgeoning career," Henderson said. "We will continue to
work with police and lawmakers to give these artists, and the organizations
behind them, the opportunity to succeed."
CRIA began investigating Audiomaxxx as part of an ongoing program to
deter music counterfeiting and piracy. The operation came to CRIA's attention
because of the large volume of suspected counterfeit products openly offered
for sale on the Internet and the owner's failure to stop selling these
products after the issuance of cease-and-desist orders.
Since CRIA began dedicated anti-counterfeiting operations more than a
year ago, the association and police have seized more than 400,000 CDs and
issued 80 cease-and-desist orders against retailers of illicitly copied music.
The Impact of Piracy and Counterfeiting on Canadian Artists and Rights
Holders
Piracy and counterfeiting exact a steep toll on artists and rights
holders in Canada. This is reflected in significant music sales declines since
the advent of widespread unauthorized file-swapping in 1999 and the
proliferation of CD and music DVD counterfeiting in recent years. In that
time, retail sales of pre-recorded audio products (CDs, digital tracks, etc.)
declined by 47 percent, from $1.3 billion in 1999 to $703.7 million in 2006.
For the 11 months ended November 2007, net wholesale shipments of CDs,
music DVDs, and other "physical" recorded music formats dropped 16 percent to
37.9 million units from 45.1 million units in the year-earlier period, while
the related net wholesale value dropped 20 percent to $382.4 million from
$476.3 million.
A 2007 national POLLARA survey found that purchases of counterfeit goods
such as music CDs displace legitimate commerce. About half of those who bought
counterfeit music, movies or software would have purchased the genuine version
had they not purchased a copy (for music, the figure was 43 percent; movies,
45 percent; and software, 44 percent).
Police file criminal charges against four people and seize more than
200,000 music CDs and DVDs
TORONTO, March 6 /CNW/ - Following a year-long investigation by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), the RCMP has shut down
Audiomaxxx.com Ltd., a major alleged music counterfeiting operation in
Winnipeg, and filed criminal charges against four individuals.
Raj Singh Ramgotra, the principal behind Audiomaxxx, was among those
arrested during a raid yesterday at the organization, which for three years
has allegedly manufactured pirated compact discs and hard core pornographic
videos, and distributed them throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe and Jamaica.
More recently, Audiomaxxx's offerings have also included allegedly pirated
digital downloads.
In addition to the arrests, police seized an enormous volume of suspected
counterfeit goods. This includes more than 200,000 music CDs and DVDs,
numerous movie DVDs and hundreds of thousands of blank discs. Police also
seized five CD/DVD burning towers, each with 12 burners, which together are
capable of burning well in excess of 10,000 CDs and DVDs a day. The raid also
netted several computers and hard drives, two commercial CD printers, four
colour copiers and other office equipment.
In the past 10 years, the raid closest in scale to the action against
Audiomaxxx involved the seizure of about 10,000 counterfeit music CDs and DVDs
- one-twentieth the volume netted yesterday.
More than 10 police officers were involved in yesterday's raid.
"We sincerely thank the RCMP officers who have worked so hard to bring
Audiomaxxx to heel, and to the federal prosecutors who have worked closely
with them," said Graham Henderson, President of the Canadian Recording
Industry Association. "Today's arrests send out a clear message that
commercial piracy will no longer be tolerated in Canada."
Audiomaxxx is suspected of being one of Canada's leading music
counterfeiters. In Toronto alone, approximately 30 percent of the pirated CDs
seized allegedly originate from the operation. CRIA estimates that, at
minimum, Audiomaxxx has been shipping tens of thousands of allegedly pirated
CDs each month.
CRIA has received dozens of complaints concerning the operation from
artists, music associations and music labels around the world, including
numerous small, independent labels. In the past, when faced with demands by
rights holders to cease its activities, Audiomaxxx has consistently ignored
the demands or failed to fully comply.
The operation appears to be highly developed, with a significant
catalogue of allegedly pirated CDs and music downloads offered for sale via
the website www.audiomaxxx.com, including copies of tracks by famous artists
like Shania Twain, Lionel Richie, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Nelly Furtado.
"The RCMP has again demonstrated that it stands side by side with artists
and rights holders in the fight against intellectual property crime," said
Randy Lennox, President and CEO of Universal Music Canada Ltd. and Chairman of
CRIA. "CRIA has a longstanding partnership with the RCMP and other police
forces in fighting piracy, and today we have taken a big step together to stop
one of the most flagrant examples of its kind in Canada."
Audiomaxxx's alleged piracy affects not just famous artists, but also new
and independent artists - largely in the reggae, soca and hip-hop community -
who are struggling to build careers. For example, Vancouver's Utopia Records,
one of the many independent labels to voice concerns, has seen new artist
albums appear on the Audiomaxxx website on the day an album is released in
stores or even before the legitimate launch date.
"The harm done by music piracy is especially troubling when it undermines
a promising artist's burgeoning career," Henderson said. "We will continue to
work with police and lawmakers to give these artists, and the organizations
behind them, the opportunity to succeed."
CRIA began investigating Audiomaxxx as part of an ongoing program to
deter music counterfeiting and piracy. The operation came to CRIA's attention
because of the large volume of suspected counterfeit products openly offered
for sale on the Internet and the owner's failure to stop selling these
products after the issuance of cease-and-desist orders.
Since CRIA began dedicated anti-counterfeiting operations more than a
year ago, the association and police have seized more than 400,000 CDs and
issued 80 cease-and-desist orders against retailers of illicitly copied music.
The Impact of Piracy and Counterfeiting on Canadian Artists and Rights
Holders
Piracy and counterfeiting exact a steep toll on artists and rights
holders in Canada. This is reflected in significant music sales declines since
the advent of widespread unauthorized file-swapping in 1999 and the
proliferation of CD and music DVD counterfeiting in recent years. In that
time, retail sales of pre-recorded audio products (CDs, digital tracks, etc.)
declined by 47 percent, from $1.3 billion in 1999 to $703.7 million in 2006.
For the 11 months ended November 2007, net wholesale shipments of CDs,
music DVDs, and other "physical" recorded music formats dropped 16 percent to
37.9 million units from 45.1 million units in the year-earlier period, while
the related net wholesale value dropped 20 percent to $382.4 million from
$476.3 million.
A 2007 national POLLARA survey found that purchases of counterfeit goods
such as music CDs displace legitimate commerce. About half of those who bought
counterfeit music, movies or software would have purchased the genuine version
had they not purchased a copy (for music, the figure was 43 percent; movies,
45 percent; and software, 44 percent).
