Music piracy research - news archive

Napster's Takeover Value Estimated At $3 To $5

A Google representative issued a statement denying such claims, while a Napster spokeswoman declined comment. Napster shares opened Tuesday's session up 57% and were seen up 21% in the last hour of trading. "We estimate Napster's takeover value at $3 to $5 per share, with about half the value coming from the company's cash position," wrote Stifel Nicolaus analyst Kit Spring in a research report issued today.

Forbes, 2006, January 31st | Language: EN | 335 words

'Stichting de Thuiskopie moet geldstroom verantwoorden'

Minister Donner wil dat de Stichting de Thuiskopie de financiële verantwoording verbetert. Zo niet, dan raakt de stichting zijn bevoegdheid kwijt. (...) De privaatrechtelijke instelling verdeelt niet zelf het geld over de rechthebbenden. Hiervoor heeft de stichting zogeheten verdeelorganisaties voor aangewezen. Volgens het College van Toezicht heeft de verdeling van thuiskopiegelden in de periode 1993-2001 onaanvaardbare vertragingen heeft opgelopen.

Webwereld, 2006, January 31st | Language: NL | 242 words

UK court to unmask 'file-sharers'

Ten internet service providers have been ordered to hand over the details of 150 UK customers accused of illegally sharing software. The High Court order follows a 12-month covert investigation by the Federation Against Software Theft (Fast). Among the internet providers are BT, NTL, Telewest and Tiscali.

Bbc, 2006, January 30th | Language: EN | 334 words

Arctic Monkeys geschiedenis in met snelst verkopend debuut ooit

Het debuutalbum van de Arctic Monkeys is nu al het snelst verkopende debuutalbum ooit uit de Britse hitparade. Het album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm not" kwam uit op 23 januari. Er zijn al meer dan 360.000 exemplaren van verkocht. Het werkstuk van de band uit Sheffield gaat nu beter over de toonbank dan het oeuvre van de rest van de album top twintig samen. (...) De Arctic Monkeys hebben hun schare fans via het internet uitgebouwd, nadat demo's die in 2003 na concerten werden uitgedeeld hun weg naar het computernetwerk vonden. Uiteindelijk kregen ze onderdak bij Domino Records.

De Standaard, 2006, January 29th | Language: NL | 144 words

Internetgemeenschap betaalt advocaat van moeder tegen RIAA

Patricia Santangelo weigerde een schikkingsvoorstel van de RIAA te accepteren omdat ze nooit illegale muziek zou hebben gedownload. Dankzij de hulp van internetactivisten kan ze nu toch een advocaat inhuren voor haar strijd tegen de machtige muziekindustrie. De teller van het fonds dat online activisten hebben opgezet staat inmiddels al boven de 6.000 dollar.

Het Laatste Nieuws, 2006, January 27th | Language: NL | 179 words

Court rules against song-swappers

The UK music industry has won a landmark court case in its fight against illegal online music sharing. High Court judges ordered two men to pay the British Phonographic Industry between £1,500 and £5,000 for making thousands of songs available online. (...) The two men, who the BPI decided not to name in publicising the cases, were accused along with three others of using peer-to-peer software to share 8,906 songs over the internet.

Bbc, 2006, January 27th | Language: EN | 344 words

Music lovers caught in DRM battle

Yet, as fists continue to fly, it seems paying customers may be getting caught out by music industry tactics. One of those in the red corner is EMI, which has the largest collection of copyrighted music in the world - including the Beatles and Kylie. With so much at stake it does not want to let its songs go into the ring unprotected. You will not get a simple mp3 from the four major record labels, but you will get one of several formats that gives them more control.

Bbc, 2006, January 27th | Language: EN | 1143 words

IFPI welcomes Hong Kong High Court decision on ISPs

IFPI (Hong Kong Group) is pleased with the court decision for granting the necessary disclosure orders today which represents the first step of our effort in enforcing the digital rights of the recording industry here in Hong Kong.

IFPI, 2006, January 26th | Language: EN | 262 words

Strafrechtelijke autoriteiten ontmantelen internationale releasegroups

Gisteren is een internationaal strafrechtelijk onderzoek naar illegale releasegroups en topsites tot een ontknoping gekomen. Er werden tenminste 300 doorzoekingen uitgevoerd in meerdere landen, waaronder Nederland, waarbij diverse ftp-servers in beslag werden genomen. Dertig hoofdverdachten werden aangeklaagd wegens grootschalige inbreuk op auteursrechten. (...) Volgens de Duitse filmpiraterijbestrijders van de GVU werden in ieder geval de releasegroepen Unreality, Dragon, Laboratory, Heaven, code talk, GTR, ECP, TRCD, AOS, MRM, SITH, GWL, CineVCD, AHE en Cinemaniacs uitgeschakeld.

IFPI Belgium (Belgian Entertainment Association), 2006, January 25th | Language: NL | 268 words

[VIDEO] MPAA admits to unauthorized movie copying

What happens when an organization that is best known for inveighing against the unauthorized copying of movies gets caught doing exactly that? The Motion Picture Association of America was caught with its pants down, admitting to making unauthorized copies of the documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated in advance of this week's Sundance Film Festival.

Ars Technica, 2006, January 24th | Language: EN | 592 words

Apple iTunes users growing fast

Statistics gathered by Nielsen NetRatings shows that traffic to iTunes grew by 241% in 2005. Between December 2004 and 2005 the numbers of people going to the site grew from 6.1 million to 20.7 million.

Bbc, 2006, January 23rd | Language: EN | 275 words

[VIDEO] Filmpiraat loopt voor tweede keer tegen de lamp

Stichting Brein heeft een man voor de tweede keer binnen in enkele maanden gepakt omdat hij illegale films en computergames verkocht. (..) Nu de man voor de tweede keer is gepakt, zal hij de boete van 81.500 euro moeten betalen, aldus Vissers. Stichting Brein probeert deze boete nu via een civiele procedure te incasseren.

Webwereld, 2006, January 21st | Language: NL | 178 words

EMI boss attacks French moves to legalise file-sharing

The chairman of EMI Group PLC, the world’s No. 3 record company, today condemned French moves to legalise online music file-sharing as an “aberration,” and urged a rethink by the government.

Ireland On-line, 2006, January 21st | Language: EN | 430 words

Recording industry 'Download Legally' education campaign reaches out to Midem

John Kennedy, Chairman and CEO of IFPI said: "Education has a critical part to play in the development of a thriving legitimate digital music market. At a time when music on the internet, both legal and illegal, is being made available everywhere, people now more than ever need to be armed with knowledge about the opportunities and the pitfalls surrounding online music.

IFPI, 2006, January 21st | Language: EN | 492 words

File-sharing 'not cut by courts'

The level of file-sharing has remained the same for two years despite 20,000 legal cases in 17 countries. (...) IFPI chairman John Kennedy said the industry was "winning the war but we haven't won the war" against piracy. The fact that illegal song-swapping had not increased should be regarded as a success, he told the BBC News website.

Bbc, 2006, January 20th | Language: EN | 476 words

FPM release year end piracy statistics: + 21 % in cd-r seized (1 million and 600,000 units), 1,509 cd burners seized and 519 people arrested

The Italian federation against music piracy has released the Year End piracy statistics. The pirate cd-r seized were about 1,600,000 (+21%). More than 6 million of blank cd-r have been seized.

IFPI Belgium (Belgian Entertainment Association), 2006, January 20th | Language: EN | 96 words

Global digital music sales triple to US$1.1 billion in 2005 as new market takes shape

Sales of music via the internet and mobile phones proliferated and spread across the world in 2005, generating sales of US$1.1 billion for record companies - up from US$380 million the previous year - and promising further significant growth in the coming year. (...) IFPI sets out the key challenges facing the music industry at the start of 2006 if it is to see further growth. Above all, governments and the music industry's partners in the digital marketplace need to place copyright, rights management and the campaign against piracy at the top of the digital agenda.

IFPI, 2006, January 19th | Language: EN | 1072 words

5,676 police actions during the last quarter of 2005 thanks to Operation Madrid Plus

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the Spanish Music Producers' Association, PROMUSICAE, yesterday presented a Gold Disc Award to the Spanish National Police, Madrid's Local Police, the Guardia Civil and the Customs Department of the Tax Agency, in recognition for the efforts of these Enforcement Agencies in the development of their anti-piracy initiative Operation Madrid Plus 2005.

IFPI, 2006, January 19th | Language: EN | 736 words

Walkman sales boost Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson added it had shipped three million of its Walkman branded handsets since August last year.

Bbc, 2006, January 18th | Language: EN | 158 words

Kruidvat laat klassiek downloaden

Wie iets wil downloaden bij de drogisterijketen, moet nu nog flink zoeken op de site. De muziekwinkel zit goed weggestopt en pas na veel klikken vind je de dienst terug op de pagina's over klassieke muziek in de entertainmentafdeling. Dat komt omdat het nog maar een voorlopige lancering is, zegt Douwe Wielinga, de pr-directeur van Kruidvat. (...) Kruidvat, dat al geruime tijd klassieke muziek-cd's aan een erg zacht prijsje verkoopt, biedt naar eigen zeggen nu al 60.000 klassieke nummers te koop aan. De muziek kan gedownload worden in mp3- of in wma-formaat en klanten moeten voor minstens drie euro op de online-winkel kopen. ,,Om het rendabel te houden'', zegt Wielinga.

De Standaard, 2006, January 17th | Language: NL | 421 words

Moscow Feeling the Heat on Music Piracy

The measure was passed by the House of Representatives last November, and threatens to hinder Russia's bid to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) if the country refuses to increase its efforts to halt piracy. According to indistry press reports, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the issue and the ramifications of the Congressional request when they recently spoke by telephone.

Caltrade Report, 2006, January 13th | Language: EN | 443 words

Sony begint homolabel

Music With A Twist is een samenwerking met Wilderness media and Entertainment, een bedrijf dat sinds 2001 initiatieven samenbrengt voor die doelgroep. Het label zal in juli een eerste compilatie uitbrengen. (...) In de VS is het beoogde publiek zeker 30 miljoen mensen groot, hun gezamenlijke inkomen wordt geschat op 300 miljard dollar.

De Standaard, 2006, January 13th | Language: NL | 263 words

Christmas boost to download sales

In the seven days between Christmas and the New Year, millions of MP3 owners in the US bought tracks from download retailers such as iTunes and Napster. (...) Sales were boosted by the number of people who received MP3 players and download gift vouchers for Christmas. (...) Despite the rise, the number of illegal downloads from peer-to-peer networks still outstrips legal ones by a ratio of at least three to one.

Bbc, 2006, January 9th | Language: EN | 217 words

Belgische livemuziek boomt

De Standaard, 2006, January 9th | Language: NL | 755 words

Verkoper van bootlegs treft minnelijke schikking met IFPI Belgium en SABAM

In de loop van september 2005 stellen de beëdigde agenten van SABAM vast dat via een veilingsite illegale reproducties op DVDr van live-opnamen van groepen zoals Madness, The Specials, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Sisters of Mercy, The Clash, The Sex Pistols.. worden verkocht. IFPI Belgium en SABAM manen de namaker aan om de verkoop van deze reproducties onmiddellijk te staken en er wordt een minnelijke schikking voorgesteld voor de vergoeding van de door hem gepleegde inbreuken.

IFPI Belgium (Belgian Entertainment Association), 2006, January 5th | Language: NL | 399 words

MTV gets first crack at Windows' new music

Cnet, 2006, January 5th | Language: EN | 720 words

Verizon to Offer Phones That Can Download Music

Verizon Wireless announced today that it would begin selling cellphones that let people download songs over the airwaves, a development that further expands the capability of mobile devices and sets up a potential collision with the makers of portable music.

The New York Times, 2006, January 5th | Language: EN | 1085 words

Microsoft and MTV Networks Unveil New Windows Media Player 11 and Preview URGE, a New Digital Music Service

Microsoft Corp. and MTV Networks, a division of Viacom Inc., today unveiled the new Windows Media® Player 11 and offered an early look at the URGE digital music service during the kickoff keynote address for the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). (...) Gates and Toffler highlighted the fresh, streamlined design for Windows Media Player 11 with optimized device support and incredibly fast search capabilities that provide consumers with instant access to the entire URGE catalog of more than 2 million songs. Set to debut this year, URGE will offer a deep well of programming and editorial to guide the consumer's digital music experience, including exclusive content from MTV Networks' MTV, VH1 and CMT brands.

Yahoo (press Release), 2006, January 4th | Language: EN | 1160 words

Swedish pirates form political party

A bunch of Swedish file sharers have got together to form their own political party. The Pirate Party (Piratpartiet) said that it is tired of being deemed a criminals and terrorists by the system for sharing a few measly files for no financial gain or loss to anyone.

Inquirer, 2006, January 3rd | Language: EN | 218 words

In de muziekindustrie blijft het spannend

Dankzij het internet hebben we meer dan ooit zelf de macht om op zoek te gaan naar onze muzikale voorkeuren. Mede daardoor was 2005 een uitstekend jaar voor de kleine platenmaatschappijen (...) Grote labels, die nog altijd lijden onder de dalende cd-verkoop, proberen terug te slaan door zich op de distributie te gooien, terwijl de (al dan niet legale) download platenbonzen steeds meer tot alertheid dwingt.

De Morgen, 2006, January 3rd | Language: NL | 1544 words

Ultratop telt downloads mee in hitlijst

In de Ultratop van volgende vrijdag zullen voor het eerst ook downloads van liedjes verrekend zijn. (...) De cijfers haalt Ultratop bij alle belangrijke platforms. ,,Daarvan is Itunes de grootste, maar we krijgen ook gegevens van OD2, het systeem waar platforms als Skynet en MSN mee werken. Dan hebben we nog een paar onafhankelijke winkels zoals Sony Connect. Ik ben zeker dat we 95 procent van de Belgische downloads bestrijken.''

De Standaard, 2006, January 3rd | Language: NL | 763 words