Page 1 of IMPORTANT - UK High Court ruling on CD importation

From the times today - presumably this will apply to dvds too.

If applied it could be disastrous for people like us.

`Net` CDs ruling

Music fans may be prevented from buying cut-price compact discs on the internet after the High Court ruled that the British music industry may sue companies that import CDs to Britain from outside Europe. A Hong Kong-based website cd-wow.com sells £13.99 CDs for as little as £8.99.

That sounds about right, the UK consumer getting stuffed yet AGAIN!


An after thought, IF the British Music Industry wasnt so greedy then maybe we wouldnt feel the need to look elsewhere for cheaper CD`s!


Typical UK if you ask me!

This item was edited on Friday, 14th March 2003, 13:36

It won`t stop Play.com and others and their CD`s are the same `crazy` prices. If it does apply to DVD then that would certainly be a blow, being as there are tonnes of titles not even available on region 2.

The music industry was blaming piracy now they are blaming CD-WOW who will they do for next. If they weren`t so interested in selling us music by talentless game show contestants who like to assault people in night clubs and rehash other peoples songs maybe they would sell more CD`s.

If anything comes of it though why would it apply to DVDs? In the initial post it says the British music industry could sue, movies aren`t anything to do with them.

This item was edited on Friday, 14th March 2003, 13:49

This is similar to the game import comments from the Judge in the PS Chipping case (don`t remember the exact details) and also analogies to the Levi import rulings.

Basically, I think, you can import things from outside the EU only for personal use but companies cannot import and then sell on.

I think it will only be a matter of time before DVDs go through the same legal arguments.

It relates to something called exhaustion of rights. Once something is sold within the EU, the intellectual propertry rights (trademark, copyright, patent) associated with it cannot stop the purchaser selling it on. This doesn`t apply if the product originates from outside EU. Hence theoretically any UK company can sue outside of EU. I don`t know exactly what the judge has ruled, but it could spell a difficult patch for some overseas retailers who primarily target the UK e.g. cd-wow.

As to it possibly not applying to DVDs, we all buy DVDs from abroad primarily because they are cheaper. Effectively this is why we buy cds from cd-wow. The same companies produce and sell dvds as cds, so why shouldn`t they apply the same reasoning to dvds. They will see the same profit margins being erased away. It is only a matter of time til the equivalent dvd case ends up in court. For the time being cds are easier to make the legal arguments stand up because piracy is a bigger problem, but dvd writers are really taking off now, so the industry will try and protect its high proft margins any way they can.

The irony of all of this is, the parent company will get a share of the money whatever country you buy in. By preventing us from importing from abroad, it`s more liely to drive people to pirate copies and they`ll get none of the money.

As triopjw says it`s a pirates charter, the P2P networks would multiply, the country would be flooded with silvers and the BMI would lose even more money.

This item was edited on Friday, 14th March 2003, 18:40

"As to it possibly not applying to DVDs, we all buy DVDs from abroad primarily because they are cheaper. Effectively this is why we buy cds from cd-wow. The same companies produce and sell dvds as cds, so why shouldn`t they apply the same reasoning to dvds."

I don`t think the reasonong is quite the same. With music CD`s, jeans etc. you`re usually comparing identical products.
DVD`s can vary quite dramatically so you`re not comparing the same product. From region to region they can be cut/uncut, have different extras and different soundtracks.
So any such ruling would stop you getting something that the British industry can`t actually supply you. How can they do that?

Ste

This item was edited on Friday, 14th March 2003, 17:40

BRITAIN IS JUST A RIPOFF COUNTRY!!!!

Why are cars, fuel, CDs, DVDs, designer clothes, you name it, way above everyone elses prices. Its to keep the standard of living in this country low.

You can buy less with your money. You wonder why theres a black market out there, well thats the reason.

People are fighting back by importing individually, but its not enough, if everyone refused to buy their CDs and DVDs here, the industry might get the message and reduce their prices.

Well said colin the u k must be the biggest RIP OFF in europe if not the world , but prices WILL not come down one example is fairy liquid if you buy it in france or any other country in main land europe it is quite a bit cheaper because the u k customer will in the words of the makers of fairy " lever brothers i think" sustain higher prices , the same goes for c.d.,s d.v.d.,s and any other goods .there are two ways to drive record companys to bring prices into line with every other country keep buying pirate copys of c.d.,s or import them from another country , but the consumer demand from kiddies who would not know good music if it hit them up the gob "just take a look at the chart top 40 " total kak .the u k has always been the best market for selling cr*p music by the lorry load so is it any wonder the record companys what to keep the prices higher bigger price higher profits .,fw600vj

Britain Ripp Off

But it doesnt have to be a ripp off country - if people didnt stand for it and we used people power and boycotted shops who ripp off it , they could have 2 choices sell cheaper stuff or go bust.

If cd wow isnt allowed to sell cheaper dvd`s etc i will never buy a cd from any uk based cd shop again.

Lets begin to boycott rip off prices.