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The Sanitation Department in New York City is cracking

down on illegal poster advertisements and has found its

biggest victim to date-a record record $100,000 fine paid

by Jay-Z‘s Roc-A-Fella

imprint.

New York City

officials have cracked down on illegal stickers and posters,

as the music industry has recognized their marketing and

promotional power.

Roc-A-Fella

is appealing the decision, but under city law has to pay

the fine before they can do so. There were 2,000 summons

against the label for illegal posters, each carrying a

$50 fine.

"It is

by far our biggest poster-law violation," Assistant

Sanitation Commissioner Anne Marie Santangelo told the

New York Daily News. "We are trying to send a message.

We are hoping we can deter people from doing this."

"Without

warning, the city issued to Roc-A-Fella the largest amount

of summonses ever issued to a record company. Being the

proverbial law-abiding citizen, Roc-A-Fella paid,"

said a lawyer for the label, Robert Kalina.

"Roc-A-Fella

Records does not put up posters as a marketing device,"

Kalina said.

Until the

Roc-A-Fella fine, the largest fine for illegal posters

was $67,500, paid by five music labels in August for marketing

rapper Jay-Z. Warner Music Group paid $25,000 in October

for signs touting Busta Rhymes.