CD WOW!

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CD WOW! is an online CD and DVD retailer based in Hong Kong and developed by Phillip Robinson, formally of budget record label, Tring International. Like Amazon.com, it operates websites in and ships from in multiple countries including: United Kingdom, Hong Kong, USA, Republic of Ireland, Australia, Sweden and Germany.

The retailer made a name for itself in 2000 when it began operating in the UK and offered CDs and DVDs at lower prices than the high street. Because of their price position it was taken to court by the British Phonographic Industry, the recording industry association for the UK, for selling CDs at prices that often undercut UK retail prices by 25%. Although the CDs in question were legitimate, many of them were licensed for sale and distribution in other markets and thus priced accordingly for the market.

The BPI, under severe pressure from the high street stores who became used to over charging customers, saw the lower priced albums as damaging to the UK and European markets and took CD WOW! and its parent company Music Trading On-Line (HK) Ltd to High Court citing UK's Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. This resulted CD WOW! having to increase the price of all CDs by £1, citing legal costs as the reason why they decided not to take the case to court. This wasn't the only time that this charge has been brought against CD WOW! and they are still operating their low cost operation and still offering lower priced CDs and DVDs than the high street stores.