RIAA Press Release, March 26, 2004
New York, March 26, 2004
In one of the largest CD-R music piracy cases in the Northeast, the New York Police Department and Queen’s District Attorney’s office, assisted by investigators from the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) Anti-Piracy Unit, arrested six people today who were illegally manufacturing and distributing counterfeit CD-Rs in Queens, NY.
Earlier today, a search warrant was executed by the New York Police Department at 49-54 175th place in Queens. Nearly 15,000 counterfeit CDs and CD blanks were seized as well as 100 high-speed CD burners capable of producing approximately 5,000 CDs an hour.
“We thank the hard work of the New York City Police Department and Queen’s District Attorney’s office in this case,” said Brad Buckles, Executive Vice President and Director of the RIAA’s Anti-Piracy Unit. “Because of their efforts, a major Northeast piracy operation churning out thousands and thousands of counterfeit CDs has been put out of business. That’s a major win for everyone who creates and enjoys music.”
“The victims of piracy operations like this one are legitimate music retailers, record companies, artists, songwriters and all the other less-celebrated individuals involved in bringing music to the public,” continued Buckles. “These arrests should be clear notice that local law enforcement is serious about the consequences that come with engaging in illegally copying and distributing copyrighted music.”
For more information on this case, feel free to contact Patrick Clark or Nicole Navas in the Queen’s District Attorney’s Media Relations Office at (718) 286-6315. Their press release is accessible at http://www.queensda.org/Press%20Releases/2004%20Press%20Releases/03-March/03-26-2004b.htm
Contacts:
Amy Weiss – Jonathan Lamy – Amanda Collins Tel: (202) 775-0101