In the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, major labels cracked down on retailers carrying import albums as a matter of courseâ??at one point, CBS Records even sued Tower Records over the practice.
For the most part, such import battles have since receded into the background. But a controversy over an Amy Winehouse album is, at least temporarily, putting the issue back in the forefront.
Most merchants Billboard surveyed are saying they'll comply with a letter from Universal Republic that threatens to sue retailers and merchandisers that continue importing and selling import copies of Winehouse's 2003 debut album, "Frank." But other retailers are arguing that, in the age of downloading, it's absurd for a record label to take Universal's approach.
"We are selling physical product that the customers want, and they are trying to stop us," one merchandiser says. "In the meantime, it is flowing freely throughout the world over the Internet through the [peer-to-peer] sites."
08/11/2007 Most merchants Billboard surveyed are saying they'll comply with a letter from Universal Republic that threatens to sue retailers and merchandisers that continue importing and selling import copies of Winehouse's 2003 debut album, "Frank." Universal Republic, which has enjoyed great success in the United States with Winehouse's "Back to Black" album, plans to issue her earlier album "Frank" Nov. 7 stateside and wants to prevent imports from cannibalizing potential sales. "Frank," which came out in Europe on Island, has scanned some 18,000 copies in the United States as an import, according to Nielsen SoundScan; meanwhile, since its Dec. 19, 2006, release, "Back to Black" has sold 950,000.
From billboard.com
