COTT: Hi-tech pirate scams cost local artistes

In an interview last week, COTT president Alison Demas said it was difficult to quantify the losses which artistes have or could suffer during the Carnival season but the figures could range between $70,000 to $80,000 if a single track on an album costs approximately $5,000 to produce.

She said COTT continues to lobby for the police to take action against these individuals and this appears to be working since there have been few reports of music pirates physically plying their trade on the streets.

However Demas said music pirates were upgrading the tools of their trade by going on the Internet to access the music of local artistes and sell them on the black market.

She claimed that one of the leading contenders for this year’s Road March title has already fallen victim to music pirates as one of the unreleased songs from his Carnival 2006 album was downloaded and was recently played over the airwaves in Canada.

Demas explained that passage of the amended Copyright Act would greatly assist to protect local artistes from the nefarious schemes of music pirates as it empowers the police to prosecute these individuals whether they ply their trade physically or electronically.

The Copyright Amendment Bill 2004 was presented in the House of Representatives on November 26, 2004 by then Legal Affairs (now Labour) Minister Danny Montano. The Bill was referred to a special select committee of the Lower House on December 17, 2004 but lapsed upon the prorogation of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament on September 8, 2005. Demas said COTT has requested a meeting with current Legal Affairs Minister Christine Kangaloo to find ways to get the legislation passed in Parliament and explore other ways to help protect local artistes against music pirates.

She added that one of the ways in which the artistes can protect themselves is by releasing their songs earlier as a pre-emptive strike against any music pirate.

Demas observed that there has been a trend by artistes during the Carnival season, and this year is no exception, to keep their work or most of their new works out of the record shops until just before the main celebrations kick off.

According to information provided by the Recording Industry Association of America, the schemes of music pirates (physical and online) costs the global music industry US$4.2 billion annually.