Retailers expressed fears that the proposed ban may pressure their sales.
"Banning the cheaper imported CDs would particularly hurt students who want to listen to CDs but cannot afford the full price of the Japanese edition. It would also hurt us, who sell those CDs as a category of popular products," said the managing director of a major Japanese music store chain.
The executive declined to identify the company "because I have to do business with record companies" that are pushing for the proposed ban.
"I believe the cheaper imported CDs expand the customer base for the music industry, both for record companies and retailers," the executive said.
"What the Japanese record industry has to do is to add value to Japanese editions of CDs, like including extra songs," he said.
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