The Swiss video industry posted record turnover in 2003 thanks to the rise in popularity of the DVD format and would have been even higher if it had not been for the problems of piracy and illegal parallel imports.

According to the Swiss Video Association, the turnover in DVDs increased year on year by 23% to CHF 194m (approximately Euros 123m), which represents some 90% of the overall home entertainment turnover of CHF 218 (Euros 138.3m).

The year-on-year growth in the number of DVD units sold was even stronger - up nearly 50% to 9.32m - while the number of VHS cassettes fell by almost 50%.

Meanwhile, the Swiss anti-piracy task force SAFE estimates that between 12%-15% of the sector's turnover has been lost due to copyright violations.