How to spot a pirate CD

Most likely to be top 40 hits and perennial best sellers Slightly faded colour artwork Missing trademarks Spelling mistakes From the Australian Record Industry Association

"It's a lesson we don't want to repeat," Sanity spokesman Ian Duffell told the Herald Sun newspaper.

Almost one in 10 CDs in the country are counterfeit, according to the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) - costing the industry A$70m (�26m).

"We pulled them off the shelves as soon as we realised there was a problem," Mr Duffell said.

The retailers have now stopped importing CDs until a new system to check their authenticity is developed.

The Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) has called on the government to do more to enforce copyright laws.

Nationwide

"It is clear that counterfeit trade is increasing and that the remedies available to swiftly stop pirates and counterfeit trade are limited," ARIA executive director Emmanuel Candi said.

Sanity and IN2Music had been selling the pirate CDs in 270 stores throughout the country.

The Music Industry Piracy Investigations Unit and Sanity are still investigating the source of the CDs, according to the Sydney Morning Herald - although they are thought to have come from a trader in south-east Asia.

Customers who bought the bootleg discs have been offered a full refund or exchange, and all affected CDs have been withdrawn from the shelves.

Changes to the Copyright Act in 1998 allowed Australia to import CDs from other countries.