Link
More behind the link :disgust:WASHINGTON (August 26) 2002 -- Both online and physical music piracy continue to impact the music industry midway through 2002, with a comprehensive new survey of public practices providing the strongest evidence to date that illegal Internet downloading is displacing sales and helping explain a seven percent drop in CD shipments and a 69.9 percent increase in counterfeit/pirate optical disc seizures, according to new analysis and data released today by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, CD shipments dropped 7 percent in the first six months of 2002, while seizures of counterfeit CDs soared by 69.9 percent. The first-half decline in CD shipments comes on top of last year?s overall 5.3 percent drop.
Together, the findings from both surveys show a continuing fall-off in CD sales?and in the process decisively debunk the theory that stealing music online is somehow good for the music business.