PuNiShErKiLl666
March 30th, 2004, 04:01 AM
March 30 (Bloomberg) -- A group of record companies including EMI Group Plc and BMG said it started legal actions against 247 people in four countries for illegally swapping songs over the Internet, extending the legal fight against online piracy outside of the U.S.
More than 120 people in Denmark, 68 in Germany, 30 in Italy and 29 in Canada face lawsuits for alleged illegal sharing of songs, said Jay Berman, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a London-based industry group.
``It's the start an international campaign, a logical step in the fight against piracy,'' Berman said on a conference call. ``No one should be surprised by this action and the fact that there is more to come.''
Vivendi Universal SA's Universal Music Group, EMI, Bertelsmann AG's BMG and rivals have blamed free downloading and file-swapping for a four-year slump in the $28 billion industry that has hurt their earnings and revenue. In the U.S., the Recording Industry Association of America has already sued more than 1,000 people.
IFPI, whose members also include Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Music and Sony Corp.'s music unit, estimates there are 800 million unauthorized music files available on the Internet at any time. The number of users logged at any time on unauthorized services rose to 6.2 million in January from 3 million in June 2002, IFPI said.
Legitimate Sites
The number of songs available legally, while rising, pales compared with the files on free swapping Web services such as Kazaa. There are about 50 legitimate online music sites in Europe, offering 300,000 tracks, IFPI said. In the U.S., 575,000 songs are available legally for download over the Web through services such as Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes music store and RealNetworks Inc.'s Rhapsody.
As a result of the legal actions, ``the number of illegal files will shrink dramatically,'' Berman said. ``It's designed to afford the legitimate services an opportunity to grow.''
After a slow start, the largest companies in the past year have stepped up efforts to offer alternatives to free swapping services.
CD Sales
Sony, which agreed to merge Sony Music with BMG in December, said earlier this month it will bring its Connect download service to the U.K., France and Germany in June. EMI now makes 175,000 tracks of its catalogue, including music from the Rolling Stones and Queen, available online.
The impact on global CD sales is still unclear. ``I don't think anyone can say'' what the effect of lawsuits on global music sales will be, Berman said.
Jean-Rene Fourtou, CEO of Universal Music's parent company Vivendi Universal SA, said there are signs of improvement in the U.S. music industry, partly due to the legal actions.
The RIAA in the U.S. first filed suits against individuals last year. Last week, the industry group said it sued 532 people it claims were illegally sharing music over the Internet, including 89 people who used university networks to distribute music.
Outside of the U.S., individuals are being sued by the national record associations or record labels.
In the U.K., the British Phonographic Industry reiterated today that users of unauthorized file-sharing services face legal action if they continue. Last week, the BPI started a campaign of sending warning messages to users of those sites.
Source: http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000082&sid=aToxfkL2YFyg&refer=canada
More than 120 people in Denmark, 68 in Germany, 30 in Italy and 29 in Canada face lawsuits for alleged illegal sharing of songs, said Jay Berman, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a London-based industry group.
``It's the start an international campaign, a logical step in the fight against piracy,'' Berman said on a conference call. ``No one should be surprised by this action and the fact that there is more to come.''
Vivendi Universal SA's Universal Music Group, EMI, Bertelsmann AG's BMG and rivals have blamed free downloading and file-swapping for a four-year slump in the $28 billion industry that has hurt their earnings and revenue. In the U.S., the Recording Industry Association of America has already sued more than 1,000 people.
IFPI, whose members also include Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Music and Sony Corp.'s music unit, estimates there are 800 million unauthorized music files available on the Internet at any time. The number of users logged at any time on unauthorized services rose to 6.2 million in January from 3 million in June 2002, IFPI said.
Legitimate Sites
The number of songs available legally, while rising, pales compared with the files on free swapping Web services such as Kazaa. There are about 50 legitimate online music sites in Europe, offering 300,000 tracks, IFPI said. In the U.S., 575,000 songs are available legally for download over the Web through services such as Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes music store and RealNetworks Inc.'s Rhapsody.
As a result of the legal actions, ``the number of illegal files will shrink dramatically,'' Berman said. ``It's designed to afford the legitimate services an opportunity to grow.''
After a slow start, the largest companies in the past year have stepped up efforts to offer alternatives to free swapping services.
CD Sales
Sony, which agreed to merge Sony Music with BMG in December, said earlier this month it will bring its Connect download service to the U.K., France and Germany in June. EMI now makes 175,000 tracks of its catalogue, including music from the Rolling Stones and Queen, available online.
The impact on global CD sales is still unclear. ``I don't think anyone can say'' what the effect of lawsuits on global music sales will be, Berman said.
Jean-Rene Fourtou, CEO of Universal Music's parent company Vivendi Universal SA, said there are signs of improvement in the U.S. music industry, partly due to the legal actions.
The RIAA in the U.S. first filed suits against individuals last year. Last week, the industry group said it sued 532 people it claims were illegally sharing music over the Internet, including 89 people who used university networks to distribute music.
Outside of the U.S., individuals are being sued by the national record associations or record labels.
In the U.K., the British Phonographic Industry reiterated today that users of unauthorized file-sharing services face legal action if they continue. Last week, the BPI started a campaign of sending warning messages to users of those sites.
Source: http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000082&sid=aToxfkL2YFyg&refer=canada