Major music bootlegging operation smashed

Police officers in the UK and Austria have broken up what has been called a “large-scale organised international music bootlegging operation” that was involved in the global distribution of “illegal sound recordings”. Simultaneous raids were carried out at the end of last week following investigations by the BPI in the UK and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in Austria. Over 250,000 bootlegged discs by he likes of Rolling Stones, Beatles, Eminem, U2, Oasis, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Nickelback and Sheryl Crow were seized from a warehouse in North Vienna and an address in West London. David Martin, Director of Anti-Piracy at the BPI, told us: "Investigations by the BPI, IFPI and Austrian national group has successfully smashed an international, organised bootlegging ring. We are grateful to the assistance of all the police forces involved in the operation." The raid follows a report earlier this month that suggested that, outside the US, conventional bootlegging was a much bigger threat to the music industry than online music piracy, with new cheaper technology meaning up to 40% of international music sales were of pirated goods. Press information from Fiona Harley at the IFPI on 020 7878 7900