UK gets tough on music swappers

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The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is likely to bring further legal action against UK citizens accused of sharing copyright-protected files over the Internet.

Late last week the BPI won a court ruling that will force six UK ISPs to name 31 subscribers suspected of illegally sharing music.

Speaking on Monday, a BPI spokesman suggested that last Friday's legal success — which followed a similar court action in October 2004 — will prove to be just one part of a long-term process of changing people's behaviour online through legal action.

"In terms of behavioural change, the UK government has broadcast the dangers of drink-driving, but people still drink drive," said the BPI spokesman.

The ISPs involved in the case now have 14 days to provide the names sought by the BPI. The individuals named will then be invited to settle the charges, probably by paying a fine of around £2,000.

The BPI hopes that the amount of publicity generated by last week's court success will deter Internet users from uploading copyright material to file-swapping networks.

But despite the group's tough stance, the spokesman recognised that the BPI is still facing an uphill struggle to convince file-swappers that they are in the wrong.

"We're reluctant to say 'OK, the job's done, let's spend money on making records'," said the BPI spokesman. "I suspect that the problem won't go away just because we've launched two rounds of litigation".

Talkback

..."Downloading 2/298"....Oh sorry there, oh I see I am supposed to provide real money, and at rip off prices to the record industry, well I'll just fork out £12 for that new CD, oh whats that you say there is a flash presentation and some wallpaper, omg I'd better buy it full price now before they reduce it in 2 weeks time...."Downloading 4/298"...

via Facebook 14 March, 2005 23:08
Reply

"The UK music industry has compared the fight against illegal online file sharing with curbing drunk driving."

This is proof positive, not that we needed it, that the music industry (or at least the BPI, RIAA and their money-grubbing industry executive friends) has lost the plot.

Driving while drunk is a stupid, dangerous activity which kills God alone knows how many people worldwide every year.

Whereas downloading music has yet to kill anyone, drunk or otherwise.

Just for the record: If I'd ever lost anyone I cared about to drunk driving, I would be mortally insulted by the BPI's crass, idiotic comments. I'd be writing to every newspaper in the land asking exactly who the hell these people think they are?

When are the real workers of the music industry, the artists, going to wake up and realise that the organizations which allege to represent them are long overdue being publically slapped down and humiliated by the people who make their existence possible?

And when is the music buying public going to say "enough is enough" and boycott the product of an industry which treats all it's customers as criminals?

via Facebook 15 March, 2005 10:04
Reply

The British Music Industry are no better than there American counterparts money6 grabbing no good snooks IF they paid the Artists as much as they RIPOFF for THEMSELFS they MIGHT somewhere in the next MILLION years or so deserve the money they CREAM OFF for themselfs .

Until then they need to shutup and go away they serve very little purpose in life at all and the pricec they have the front to try and charge for an CD Album thses days is an absolute insult to all

There has got to be a way in British law to scupper them so completeley they aint got a hope in hell of wriggeling out into the courts ever again .

I do not object to paying the Artists for there Albums but not the ripoff multies that THINK they run the Country right now (not for long watch the papers is all i will say right now .:-)..)

via Facebook 15 March, 2005 12:18
Reply

I find this amusing to say the least. We have the BPI going after people who allow songs to be uploaded from their machines. Not because they are getting into a tizzy about it, but they don't go after the companies that sell the CDs in the first place.
For example.. Sony EMI sell music CDs and Film DVDs, but the user can copy that music or DVD movie to their hard drives and therefore be shared. And also they sell CD-RW / DVD-RW ROM units and blank cds/dvds to the public and not expect them to use them for copying?
It would appear that those in the industry want thier cake and be able to eat it...from both ends.
If the major electronics industry want to sell cds /dvds with useless encryption then maybe a rethink on their part is needed.
Or could they just sell the music cheaper? now there's an idea!

via Facebook 15 March, 2005 22:08
Reply

With this battle it's just one public relations cock-up after another. How can the BPI or RIAA (burn in hell) hope to win when they drag drink driving into this?

via Facebook 16 March, 2005 09:21
Reply

If music was more reasonably priced when it first hit the shelves there might be less want to illegally download.

When music is worth buying I buy a legit. version. This is so that the music industry can invest money into studios and funding musicians careers to ensure they keep making good music.

Let's look at the fact the industry does actually need money. If everyone were to download and pay nothing, the funding isn't there to create the music in the first place.;

via Facebook 16 March, 2005 14:01
Reply

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