MUSIC PIRACY & ORGANISED CRIME
Why is organised crime such a focus of the global fight against music piracy?
The IFPI states that an appreciation and common understanding of organised crime will enhance cooperation between the music industry, governments and law enforcement. In turn this will promote the effective use of limited resources against organised crime groups which, if unchecked, have the potential to undermine state and commercial institutions.
In South Africa the reality of organised crime was brought home recently (August 2005) when it was established that the man believed to have co-ordinated the London bombs of July 7th (which left 56 people dead) was found to have made his living selling CDs and DVDs at fleamarkets around Johannesburg. This is believed to be just the tip of an iceberg which links the profits made by music pirates to funding terrorist groups and activities and as such has seen the fight against music intensified.
Across the globe, the links between organised crime, music piracy and terrorism were documented in the IFPI publication, Music Piracy: Serious, Violent and Organised Crime (Fourth Edition). It paints a worrying picture of a world where international crime gangs flourish in the free movement of goods, services and people that are essential to legitimate commerce.
Says the publication:
"The most extreme form of organised crime affecting society today is that of terrorism. The clandestine nature of terrorist organisations requires large sums of money to maintain operatives in the field and for the purchase of arms and explosives. Evidence and intelligence is available to prove that these groups are involved in the fabrication, distribution and sale of counterfeit music and other intellectual property infringing material to raise funds for their operations". In addition, Interpol stated in 2003 that the "link between organised crime groups and counterfeit goods is well established. But Interpol is sounding the alarm that Intellectual Property Crime is becoming the preferred method of funding for a number of terrorist groups".
What this means is that the fight against music piracy in South Africa is no longer confined to the music industry, protecting the rights of music producers, songwriters and performers, but is an issue that every citizen in the country must be involved in.
