23% Of CDs Sold On Amazon Are Counterfeit, Say Investigators

As much as 23% of all CD's sold on Amazon are counterfeit, according to multiple investigations. We first reported on the problem two weeks ago after an alert was sent out by indie music trade group A2IM.

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Two weeks ago the The Association of Independent Music has issued an strong warning regarding a "serious counterfeit operation selling large numbers of CDs" using Amazon’s FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) system:"It appears that this product is manufactured in China, but is almost indistinguishable from the genuine article to the extent that even the legitimate manufacturer cannot tell without very close examination.The RIAA did their own investigation with staggering results. The record label trade group placed orders on Amazon in a range of categories from new releases to greatest hits. Out of the 194 CDs delivered, 44 or 23% were counterfeit – including 18 CDs in orders fulfilled by Amazon itself, not a third-party vendor. If the order was for a "greatest hits" package, the percentage of counterfeits jumped to 78%.

“Amazon should not be playing host to illegal items that would normally be found on the black market,” RIAA EVP Brad Buckles told the Wall Street Journal.

Amazon has “zero tolerance for the sale of counterfeits,” an Amazon spokeswoman told the WSJ, and will be “working closely with labels and distributors to identify offenders, and remove fraudulent items from our catalog. We are also taking action and aggressively pursuing bad actors.”

MORE: Indie Label Association Issues "Serious" Alert For Counterfeit CDs For Sale Via Amazon