Over 10,000 CDs seized

By GARY CARDINEZ, Newsday TT

The Mighty Sparrow, Shadow, Bunji Garlin, Scrunter, Faye Ann Lyons, Sanelle Dempster, Anand Yankaran and many other local artistes could breathe a collective sigh of relief today. Officers of the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) together with police officers from Central Division made the biggest "bust" on music piracy to date when they swooped down on a house at Balmoral Park, Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas yesterday morning. One man was arrested and taken to the Chaguanas Police Station. The raid was orchestrated when one of COTT’s members (a producer) went to buy some CDs with his music on them.

Everyone in the raiding party was surprised when they went into the house and saw the size of the operation. Two bedrooms in the somewhat new house were used for the operation. According to COTT’s Licensing Officer, Sinclair Thompson, they seized close to 10,000 CDs and seven CD burners worth just over $500,000 in a three-hour- long operation. The "pirate" had local music including Calypso, Soca, Rock and Chutney and almost every foreign artiste from Elvis and The Beatles to Buju Banton and everything in between. COTT’s CEO, Allison Dumas, told Newsday that this has been the biggest raid the organisation has been involved in since its inception in Trinidad and Tobago.

"I would like to thank the member for coming forward with the information that led to the raid. I am calling on all our members to get involved and be more vigilant in their business," said Dumas. She also intoned, "This is the direction I want my organisation to move in. I have always said that we need to get to the source as the street guys are only working for someone. Our songwriters and composers are losing too much money as a result of piracy." The man arrested in the raid is expected to be charged with producing, selling, and making pirated CDs and is due to appear in court today. The raiding party included Inspector Rondon, Sgt Khan and PC Assing.