Independent record stores across America are shipping in copies of AC/DC's new album in order to bypass restrictions on its sale.

'Black Ice' is scheduled to be released exclusively in Wal-Mart stores later this month.

But independent shops are understood to be importing the album from countries such as Argentina, where they can buy it for $8.25 per unit.

Speaking to Undercover, an record store source said: “We can buy from anywhere. With technology and international accounts, if a major like SonyBMG America decides they don’t want to do business with us, we will do business with other territories.

“Why should we allow them to disadvantage our businesses and piss off our customers?”

As previously reported, Wal-Mart have also won the exclusive release of a special AC/DC edition of the video game Rock Band.

(by Jason Gregory)