Check out this article on piracy in Mexico. Here’s are some quotes:
“Illegal sales already account for 65 percent of CD sales in Mexico, and the entertainment industry is bracing for things to get much worse now that fast broadband connections have become more common, doubling to 61 percent of Web-enabled Mexicans in the last two years.”
“Internet use in Mexico increased about 20 percent per year from 2001 to 2006, and nearly one-fifth of the population of 107 million will have Web access by year’s end, according to the Mexican Internet Association, which represents Web-related businesses.”
“According to the IFPI, with a pirate market valued at $111 million in 2004, Mexico is now within the top ten countries for music piracy. The major labels say Mexican computer users download about 568 million songs per year.”
“The movie industry already lost about $483 million to counterfeit sales in Mexico in 2005, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.”
What does this mean for youth ministry in Mexico? Probably a lot. I would be willing to bet that the people who are buying and distributing the pirated versions of CDs are young people. It’s not uncommon to see booths with pirated music, movies, or video games. It is done in the open. This is definitely an issue in youth ministry in Mexico.
