It's the world's premiere international music market, where some 15,000 participants from every corner of the globe come to buy and sell music, and discuss current and breaking trends in the music industry. It is also the place to see artists in concert. But Midem's biggest stars by far this year are the Internet and piracy, and their impact on the industry. Music piracy has reached enormous proportions.
Estimates are that one in three sound recordings is unauthorized.
With CD plants popping up like weeds, particularly in Asia and Eastern Europe, the demand for bootleg CDs is twice that of legitimate purchases. To make matters worse, the recent Internet explosion and developments in online networks have led to direct distribution by downloading, with or without official authorization. But the industry is fighting back, and Cannes is swarming with entertainment lawyers. Those would be the suits. Well, on the new wing of the trade floor there is a virtual rogue's gallery of some of the finest forgeries you can imagine.