Bangalore: Pirated audio cassettes of rock albums have disappeared from roadside stalls. In the age of compact discs and MP3 compressed audio, new technology is what those pirating popular music are after.

The city's grey market has huge stocks of CDs of the latest Kannada film hits, many selling for as low as Rs. 25. One can even bargain and bring the prices down by offering to buy two or three CDs at a time.

The MP3 versions go even better: for Rs. 25 you can listen to not less than 150 songs. Original (licensed versions) sell for Rs. 40 to Rs. 50.

A single pirated disc may contain all the hits from recent Kannada movies such as My Autograph, Ambi, Tandege Thakka Maga, Jackpot, Nenapirali, Ashoka, 7'O Clock, Gopi and Belli Betta. Not just new releases but even songs from movies due for release are available, the dealers claim. Of course, pirated video CDs are also in the market but they cost more; around Rs. 50 or half the price of a licensed version.

MP3 technology, which can be used to compress many songs onto a single disc, has come in handy for those selling pirated CDs.

The quality is better and customers are also satisfied. Basic computer knowledge is sufficient to convert an audio CD into MP3 using the necessary software and a MP3 converter. Both are easily available though not meant for this purpose.

Other towns

With customers coming from other towns easily directed to the dealers here, the latter have started appointing "stockists" in places such as Mangalore, Mysore and Hubli, those in the trade say. The prices may be lower there but the volumes higher as there are no other rivals such as Hindi or Western music dealers.

According to those in the music recording industry, piracy has created a big problem for them as fake CDs are all too easily available. With lower overheads and no royalties or licence fee to pay to film producers or musicians, pirated versions can be sold much cheaper and still earn handsome margins for those who make them and sell them.

Though the Government has announced that criminal cases will be booked against those pirating music and video CDs, not much has come out of it, the recording companies say. This despite the Government losing revenue from the sale of pirated versions.

The police, on the other hand, say that if the public cooperates with them in identifying sources of pirated CDs, they will not hesitate to invoke the Goonda Act, which provides for stringent punishment and not just fines.

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