Test Achats crusades against anti-piracy

5 January 2004

BRUSSELS – Belgian consumer watchdog Test Achats (Test Aankoop), has taken on the might of the music industry by filming law suits against Universal Music, Sony, EMI and BMG Music for installing anti-piracy systems onto their CDs.

Following hot on the heels of Test Achats’ crusade against Nokia’s “unsafe” mobile phone batteries, the group is complaining that several CDs such as Bjork’s ‘Greatest Hits’ and Shakira’s ‘Laundry Service’ could not be read on PCs and car stereos, while consumers were unable to make legal copies of the disks for personal use.

Companies such as Sony and Philips have recently been pushing for a stop to both piracy and personal copying however through their Super Audio CD (SACD) format.

Test Achats will be the first consumer watchdog to challenge the music industry against anti-piracy protection systems.

Subject: Belgian news