From BBC Website Today 12pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3416437.stm
CD settlement forces prices up
An online music seller has been forced to raise its prices after
settling out of court with the music industry in a row over imported CDs.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and CD-Wow! were due to have
gone to court in two weeks' time. CD-Wow! had been accused of violating UK
copyright law by importing cheaper CDs from outside Europe to the UK.
to buy more expensive CDs from Europe. "I am delighted that we have been
able to resolve this case on agreed terms," BPI chairman Peter Jamieson
said.
The BPI and CD-Wow! released a joint statement after the settlement
was reached.
'European only'
"The record industry claimed that CD Wow! was obtaining sound
recordings from outside Europe and selling them to UK and Irish consumers,"
the statement said.
"As a result of the settlement CD Wow! has agreed that it will not
sell CDs that have been first placed on the market outside Europe to UK and
Irish customers.
"It will only sell CDs that have first been placed on the European
market to UK and Irish customers. All other details of the settlement are
confidential," it said.
Ireland from this Sunday, director Philip Robinson told BBC News Online.
The BPI would not comment on the impact the settlement would have on
UK consumers who had been using CD-Wow!.
He said the company had decided to settle because they were "a small
business" and it would be financially "imprudent" for them to try and take
the case to the Court of Appeal or the European Court.
Mr Robinson also said all of CD-Wow!'s products had been brought from
record companies around the world, and did not include pirated material.
"We got our CDs from wherever we could, but they were always record
company product and legitimate. There was never any question of piracy," he
said.
CD-Wow! has more than one million registered customers worldwide.
The BPI is also investigating online retailer Amazon to see whether it
is importing CDs from outside Europe.
"If we find a net retailer is importing music from outside Europe,
then they are infringing copyright law," a spokesman said.
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