Europe's song-swappers face court

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-- Europe's song-swappers face court

Posted by jpowelso on Mar-30-2004 20:58:

Europe's song-swappers face court

The music industry is to take legal action against 247 online song-swappers across Europe in the biggest crackdown against music piracy outside the US.
The International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has said it will pursue serious offenders across the continent through the court system.

They have been targetted for illegally distributing hundreds of music tracks using file-sharing technology.

UK music firms have already threatened court action against song-swappers.

The first wave of legal actions will affect Germany, Italy, Denmark and Canada, and will be implimented according to that country's law.

People are at real risk of being sued or prosecuted if they continue to rip off those who make music
Jay Berman, IFPI chairman
In Italy, 30 people have already been charged with copyright infringement, while computers and files have been seized as evidence.

In Denmark, 120 people have been sent civil demands asking them to stop illegal file-sharing and pay compensation - or face legal action.

An IFPI spokeswoman told BBC News Online that no British lawsuits are being enacted at this time, but this would certainly be a "possibility" in the future.

The move is the latest in the organisation's campaign to persuade online music-swappers that they can obtain music legally.

The IFPI has spent the last year sending 21 million warning messages to people using unauthorised software to share files.

IFPI chairman Jay Berman has said that they will prosecute or sue song-swappers who ignore the possibility of downloading music legally.

"Ultimately we have learned that education alone is not sufficient, and some people persist because, like shop-lifters, they think they can get away with it," said Mr Berman.

Illegal song-swapping is a major factor blamed for a 7% global downturn in record sales in 2002, while the 2003 downturn is expected to be sharper.

But the IFPI commissioned a five-country survey which revealed that 65% of people are aware that file-sharing copyrighted music is illegal.

Legal access

And more than 600,000 computer users across Europe are said to be legally accessing a large stock of music.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) last week announced it was prepared to pursue persistent illegal song-swappers through the courts, while warning messages to fraudulent users have started appearing.

The US has led the way in taking legal action against illegal music swappers, with more than 2,000 pursued to date.

Posted by Matt on Mar-30-2004 23:10:

I thought CD sales have increased?

Posted by Streakfury on Mar-31-2004 00:24:

quote:
Originally posted by Mosaic
I thought CD sales have increased?

Well, the music DVD sales have increased, but I'm not so sure about the actual CDs. Not that it really matters. The government and other bodies are all politicians. And they're politicians for a reason: because they can show facts and figures and twist people's words around to suit their own ends. So if they want the public and the media to think that filesharing is harming the industry, then they'll find a way to do it.

Posted by Spin Doctor on Mar-31-2004 01:02:

If the multi-nationals want this thing to happen over here too, all they have to do is lean on the government and they will do as they are told. Democracy in it�s current form is a farce.

Posted by Matt Jay on Mar-31-2004 01:16:

quote:
Originally posted by Mosaic
I thought CD sales have increased?

They have in this part of the world

Posted by Matt on Mar-31-2004 02:39:

maybe cd sales would increase if they didn't mass produce so much crap and ship 800 copies to every CD store on the planet, making it impossible to get anything non-mainstream and of different cultures

Posted by tranceDJ on Mar-31-2004 03:30:

And all you non-US people thought you were safe from this...apparently not. Sadly I think there will come a point where no one will be able to trade music without risking being caught...the RIAA is really messing up a once great thing.