CD Wow to be fined for selling imported CDs

[LeMarchand]

http://www.itweek.co.uk/vnunet/news/2190961/cd -wow-faces-41m-fine

Following on from the globalization question below, it seems odd that it is OK to outsource just about everything to cheap labour forces abroad, but it is illegal to import goods from abroad and sell them here.

CD Wow doesn't sell pirate copies, but legitimate copies that are sold cheaper in foreign markets. The goods are shipped to the UK and they still manage to make a profit! How can all the guff about "free market forces" apply when such seemingly common sense schemes are made illeagl? Plus what exactly are the BPOI going to do with the �41 MILLION they are claiming? I doubt that it will be distributed fairly...

[Gromit]

The record companies have been ripping off the British consumer for many decades and we and the government allow them to do it. Even in the digital age where the product doesn't even physically exist and is just a series of numbers, the record companies insist that UK customers pay more than anyone else. CDWOW have fallen victim to the minefield that is Copyright Law. Apparently music is licensed for certain areas of the world only. To cross boundaries with the product is a breach of copyright.

The Government and the BPI should realise that the CD business is now a global market place, and they should price their product competitively and fairly if it wants to keep its UK market. The present system is restrictive and anti-competative.

The company are appealling against the courts decission, and I for one wish them every success in getting this ludicrous judgement overturned.

[Reverandfunk]

Agree with both of you. Go into HMV or the like and try to buy an back catalogue CD and they're �15+

If all CD's were reasonably priced I wouldn't have downloaded 3000 songs in the last year for free.

[Llamatron]

They're using the law to help enforce their price fixing.

[Azalian]

They run along trying desperately trying to catch up with the kids who simply don't buy CD's anymore.

Ten million kids "fat pipe" music, movies and anything they want down the 'Net and the BPI will never catch up, ever.

It's only dim old codgers like me who actually pay for anything anymore, and thats only because I can't keep up with the pace of change

If they were really smart, they would find a way to encourage legal downloads at reasonable prices but no, they stick their collective heads in the sand and try to pretend it's still 1985 and the WWW doesn't exist.

So, they will continue to lose cash hand over fist until a new purchasing paradigm is established and the kids will already have moved on and will still be laughing their socks off and paying zilch for things they really want.