Counterfeit hi-fi CD

FAKE CDs are normally made in one of three ways.

An industry insider steals the stamp which is used to make the disc; the stamp is copied; or - the most common method - a sophisticated machine ''reads'' a CD and translates its information onto the counterfeiter's own stamp.

The fakes are identifiable because of the poorer, but not necessarily bad, quality of the artwork on the disc case.

Photographs tend to be fuzzier than those that come with genuine discs and the lettering is sometimes badly designed or does not quite fit the page.

Some fake CDs can be recognised by the poor quality of their reproduction. Genuine CD manufacturers dispose of their CD stamps after 8,000 pressings. Pirates tend to dispose of theirs only when they are worn out.

Fake CDs tend to have bonus tracks, and compilation CDs feature artists with different record companies.