Quiapo pirates make a killing in Jackson bootlegs
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 06/29/2009 9:24 AM
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MANILA - While Michael Jackson fans all over the world wept for the death of their idol, sellers of pirated CDs and DVDs in Quiapo capitalized on the event by mass-producing and selling bootleg copies of Michael Jackson albums and videos just hours after his death Friday.
Quiapo sellers said they are selling the pirated audio CDs and DVDs of Jackson's recordings for as little as P20-P30 ($0.41-$0.62) a piece compared to its original price of P300 ($6.23).
One vendor, Farhan Mangcoga, said Jackson's death has renewed interest in the pop icon's old albums and videos. "I used to sell only 10 copies or less of Jackson's music. Now I'm selling 30 to 50 pieces a day," he said.
Another vendor, Mohamad Abubakar, admitted that selling pirated CDs and DVDs is illegal but said demand for the product is too high.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative earlier noted that counterfeit and pirated goods continue to be sold openly at street stalls in Manila’s Quiapo district, as well as "other notorious markets" such as Binondo, Greenhills, Makati Cinema Square and Metrowalk.
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