The open sale of pirated CDs of the latest movies, songs, games, etc., is thriving despite the government's stringent anti-piracy drive. Most of the hundreds of people involved in this unlawful business are expatriates, some of them illegally resident in the country. “From dealers to distributors, the people involved in selling pirated CD are mainly Yemenis and Bangladeshis,” said Rombo, a pirated CD dealer whom Saudi Gazette met in Al-Balad District of Jeddah. “It is teamwork,” he said, adding that three of his relatives assist him in the business. “We either buy an original copy of the movie or download it from the Internet and subsequently produce copies of the movie in large numbers,” said Rombo, adding that the former procedure is preferred as it helped “maintain the crystal-clear quality of the movie.” The process doesn't end there. After the CD is copied, special care is taken to produce a good cover that fully depicts the theme of the movie. Large-sized colored photos are used to make the CDs attractive. Certain spots in Al-Balad, which are away from the usual hustle and bustle of the district, have in the course of time, become the center for pirated CDs. Led by Rambo, Saudi Gazette visited one such spot, which was largely hidden from view by surrounding auto wreckage and construction work. Once there, Rambo spared no time in displaying his salesmanship skills. “We have all kinds of movies and in almost all the languages of the world,” he said. An original CD, according to Rombo, costs over SR100, while its pirated copy is sold for SR10-20. “Most of our customers are teenagers of various nationalities. The business usually soars on weekends,” he said. With regards to the marketing of the CDs, Rombo and his workers have a team of dealers and distributors at major locations in Al-Balad. Interestingly, Rambo and others in the trade use a secret ‘whistle trick' to escape the Hai'a or municipality officials. On average, these CD dealers earn around SR500 per day, while on weekends the amount can go up to as much as SR800. Official companies and distributors of original copies of movies have repeatedly complained about piracy, which they say has proven to be a major blow to their businesses. “I quit selling original movie CDs because people stopped buying them when they could easily buy the pirated copies at much lower prices,” said Ali Salem, owner of a video game shop in Al-Safa District. Ahmed Al-Somairy, Director of Internal Information in the Ministry of Information, Jeddah, said that certain localities in Jeddah, especially in Al-Balad District, are regularly inspected and that arrests are made. “A special computer system is used to distinguish between an original CD and a pirated one,” Al-Somairy said. He said the Ministry of Information, Jeddah Municipality, the Hai'a and the preventive security are working together to confiscate pirated movies and to arrest all those involved in the illegal business. “Clearly, the issue is not just about harmless entertainment. These movies not only violate copyright laws but are also potentially poisonous to the minds of our youth,” he said.
