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Record labels Use Phillipine Police & Military as Enforcers
On January 15, 500 armed police and military personnel, including sniper teams, were involved in the Philippines' "largest deployment of armed military and police personnel seen within the urban area of the capital [Metro Manila] for many years," says a media statement.
But this massive effort wasn't to defeat a plan to topple the Phillipine
government.
Rather, as incredible as it might seem, the IFPI (International Federation
of the Phonographic Industry) SE Asia was using the Phillipine police and
military as enforcers in a raid on an illicit CD duplicating organization,
headed by a local cop.
"Following a two-month intelligence gathering operation by IFPI SE Asia
anti-piracy personnel, officers of the Philippines Video Regulatory Board
and IFPI SE Asia," said the IFPI press-piece
The IFPI, the mouthpiece for the international recording industry, also
bragged:
"The Philippines President also provided a detachment of her own security
team to escort and protect IFPI operatives from any potentially violent
backlash as a result of their presence in the region."
Somehow, it failed to have the courtesy to name President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, and nor did it mention any part the Phillipine authorities
played in the investigations.
In the meanwhile, the raid apparently 'recovered' more than 190 CD burners
and, "several hundred thousand finished music and film products." But
precisely what 190 burners really means is open to question because if the
IFPI is anything like the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America)
of which it is a clone, its statements and figures are extremely flexible.
Just before Christmas, Boycott-riaa.com founder Bill Evans contacted the
RIAA's Amy Weiss with questions about another bust in New York. This time,
the RIAA had the NYPD (New York Police Department) acting for them. The RIAA
said the raid netted the equivalent of 421 burners. Bill had been told the
actual number was around 156 burners and wanted to know what 'equivalent'
meant, precisely.
Amy replied: "We stated that the raid was the equivalent of 421 burners, as
we need to put these operations in perspective based on burning capacity and
output, not the # of physical slots for the discs. Since they burn 4x
burners - it is roughly 4xs the numbers of burners."
Say no more.
SOURCE: Mi2N / p2pnet.net
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