Thousands of Pirated CDs and DVDs Set To Burn

In an effort to display his continued commitment to the crackdown on the sale of pirated goods on city streets, San José Mayor Johnny Araya unveiled a pile of 35,000 pirated CDs and DVDs Wednesday.

Municipality officials said the discs had been confiscated by the Municipal Police during the past six months. The city said the goods, with an estimated value of ¢35 million (about $60,000), were seized from approximately 350 illegal vendors.

The confiscated DVDs and CDs were piled on the corner of Avenida 4 and Calle 3, near the Finance Ministry, an area known as a hotbed for the sale of pirated goods.

The San JoséMunicipality said the confiscated merchandise will be incinerated to ensure they cannot be redistributed.

This marks the second time this year the municipality and its police force have organized a ritual demolition of pirated goods. In February, some 15,000 pirated DVDs and CDs were destroyed.

The discs will be incinerated by Geocycle Environmental Services and the Holcim Group in a cement furnace, according to the municipality. Estimated to reach temperatures of up to 2,000 C (3,632 F), the environmentally friendly furnace is said to prevent the production of secondary residues and gases almost entirely.

–Adam Williams