Your World of Legal Intelligence
 United Kingdom | +44 (0) 20 7284 8080

Editorial comment.

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorPrickett, Ruth

Swashbuckling adventures on the high seas may have provided Disney with one of its biggest hits of 2003, but the company, in common with other video, DVD and CD manufacturers, is about as tolerant of modern-day pirates as Her Majesty's Navy was in the 19th century. And with good reason. Fake copies of Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as every other blockbuster of the past couple of years, are undoubtedly on sale at a market stall near you at a fraction of the retail price. They will probably be surrounded by pries of counterfeit CDs, bags, trainers and jeans (page 18).

The outlets may be small, but the trade in fakes is massive--and it is costing companies billions in lost revenues and reputations. Industry lobbying, however, is paying off. The penalties are becoming harsher and those firms that act fast and publicise their actions are seeing improvements to their brand image.

But overzealous protectionism could be counterproductive. Recent attacks on CD Wow! and Amazon for importing legitimate, but cheaper, goods from overseas markets have made this grey market even more contentious. The web has made international prices far more visible and companies should beware of losing their customers' sympathy. The launch of Apple Computer's new iPod has triggered yet more debate about how firms can prevent people from downloading copyrighted music from the web, but this has been overshadowed by news that the iPod costs consumers more in the UK than in the US.

If companies are asking customers to show moral integrity when they shop, then they must also demonstrate that their own ethics are squeaky...

To continue reading

Request your trial
COPYRIGHT TV Trade Media, Inc.
COPYRIGHT GALE, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT