Eminem CD Hit by Record Levels of Piracy

The new CD by Eminem hasn’t been released officially, but it’s already in heavy rotation among computer users, according to survey by Gracenote, a digital music service based in Berkeley.

In a sign of widespread piracy, Gracenote said “The Eminem Show,” which is due in stores Tuesday, was the second-most-frequently-played CD on computers last week--the highest showing ever by an unreleased album.

David Hyman, Gracenote’s chief executive, said 86.5% of the activity came from the U.S.

A spokesman at Eminem’s label, Vivendi Universal unit Interscope, offered no comment.