Hundreds of song swappers sued in Europe
Written by roxeteer on October 7, 2004 to Music Business.
LONDON - The record industry trade group IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) has recently filed 459 lawsuits against users of file sharing networks in Europe. IFPI claims that they have specifically targeted their actions to “uploaders” or users who don’t just download music for their own but share large collections of copyrighted music. The lawsuits were filed against Kazaa, eDonkey, and Gnutella users in the UK, France, Austria, Germany, Italy and Denmark.
“We are taking this action as a last resort and we are doing it after a very long public awareness campaign,” says IFPI chairman Jay Berman in a Reuters article. He adds that their own statistics show 15 percent of file sharers are responsible for supplying 75 percent of the illicit files to these networks.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has filed thousands of similar lawsuits in the US during the past year. RIAA’s methods have had little or no effect to the popularity of the file sharing networks, but have caused a large movement against the music industry.
Other articles with the same topic
- Billboard mentions Roxette (February 26, 2011)
- Citigroup takes control of EMI (February 1, 2011)
- Kobalt signs Roxette in North America (January 13, 2011)
- Record "The Look" and win $5,000 shopping spree (August 11, 2010)
- EMI Music triples full-year earnings (May 8, 2009)
28 comments
per_mson said on October 7, 2004 20:53:
Lower the price to say 10 Euros for a new CD/film/game. Then there wouldn’t be much point downloading anymore. Will they EVER get that?!?!?!
joker said on October 7, 2004 21:45:
i think this is the proble..when you want to buy a book you got many options a excellent edition,cost 20-30 euros,and a handbook edition cost 6-9 euros....maybe also there are another edition between this prices......with the music you got a major quality edition cd,cost 18-20 euros and a MC tape cost 6-9 euros.......a few years ago there are vinyls between MC and CD(so expensive during a long time) now when the tape disapear and the music sell only on CD or DVD (most expensive)...then the cd down this price...........
jobarth said on October 7, 2004 22:54:
I think it’s good that they get sued. Everyone uses the excuse that the CDs are so expensive. I think they are not too expensive, you have to consider how long you can have fun and joy with an album.
RoxHard said on October 8, 2004 03:16:
But CDs really are too expensive! Here in the UK Cds can range anywhere from £12 (€18) to £20 (€30). I have only ever downloaded about 4 full albums ever, but I still complain about CD prices. I usually use eMule simply for old b-sides that aren’t available in the CD shops.
But these actions by the RIAA and IFPI will have very little effect on the way people download. Are they aware that there is a huge number of websites that actually have songs? (www.simplemp3s.com, for one). They can get rid of Kazaa and eMule if they want, but people will always find a way to download.
Susi said on October 8, 2004 05:43:
CDs ARE too expensive... What’s more, the quality of the music has decreased, I think. I mean why should I buy a whole expensive album if I maybe like one or two songs that I will hate again in three weeks?
I’m not sure if downloading is always so bad for the music business... Without that I would have never gotten to know “Blackmore’s Night”, for example. In the beginning we downloaded some songs but then we bought ALL the albums cuz we wanted the real stuff...
So, LOWER the prices AND think of what you’re throwing on the market...
RockZ said on October 8, 2004 08:22:
Bad excuses....! For downloading..
You know as well as I that it´s not allowed to download music for free. So there´s no excuses... it is, and will be a crime to do so!!
Even if we imagine we got lower prices on the cd´es - you wouldn´t stop downloading!
´Cause your problem is that you have already chosen between paying - or getting music for free.
EVEN if the cd-prices change.... you would NOT start to pay for your music!! You would probably feel stupid by doing so....!
I don´t believe you guys.... and I can´t believe you try to justify crime!!! Come on..... what kind of a dream-world are you living in!
ncurran said on October 8, 2004 08:42:
i am happy to admit that i download a lot of music. However, If i really like what I hear, I will go out an buy the CD. There are pros and cons for the record companies with regards to downloads. Of course there are those who download all there music without paying for it, but also the internet is a great way to advertise artists music. In UK CDs are unjustifyably expensive...probably double what consumers are charged in most other countries. Maybe if the record companies stopped ripping people off more people would go out and buy Cds. As for it being a crime, maybe, but so is going a few mph over the speed limit...doesnt stop millions from doing that.
Jud (moderator) said on October 8, 2004 09:56:
I agree with Susi, I think the new music (mostly) sucks, you get one nice song and the other 10-11 are unlistenable ;) Why to waste money on that?
On the other hand, I buy the CDs of the artists I like, actually the latest additions to my collection have been thanks to the net, I discovered Eskobar and Melissa Etheridge via internet downloading some songs, now I own all their albums (all in all more than 10CDs). I also bought Tomas Ledin’s live CDs the same way and next in the list is Lisa Ekdahl.
And then, who hasn’t exchanged copies of an LP or an MC with school mates? I remember we used to buy an album each and then make copies to eachother, this isn’t different, just at a bigger scale. I heard Eva Dahlgren’s work from a copied tape for the first time and look where I am now ;)
Rich-UK said on October 8, 2004 11:50:
CDs have been far too expensive for far too long. Some good news though is that companies such as CD-WOW now ship new CDs for £10 then so be it. So the outlook is bright, which is nice!
With these prices becoming more common, what is the principal moral argument for taking music without paying for it?
There are things that the record industry should do to encourage people to buy music, e.g. support quality artistes, ensure the production of quality sleeve notes, and keep the price of CDs down. I personally think that
goetz said on October 8, 2004 12:32:
Did I get it right: If something is too expensive, you have to steal it ????? There‘s a simple response to that arguement: don‘t consume what you can‘t afford! Food got more expensive as well (at least in germany it did) but I don‘t steal it although it is more important than music!
Sparvogamarie said on October 8, 2004 12:51:
I do the same as Judith, I buy the albums from artists I enjoy and download songs here and there from others. Sometimes I make a collection of songs, for example high energy songs for the gym, or once I collected songs about angels. So I would have to buy whole albums by Robbie Williams, Sarah McLaughlan, The Corrs etc just to get the one angel song I wanted! And sometimes you want a song that’s hard to find!
And like Jud said, sometimes you discover a great band by downloading. I found The Rasmus, Third Eye Blind and Jimmy Eat World by “stealing” their songs and later buying their albums. I think net swapping is great promo!
I get the point about stealing, but I think there’s a big difference between downloading and stealing a CD from a store! When I was a teenager we all bought CDs and copied them for our friends. And actually, it was a tape of Look Sharp that my uncle copied, that got me into Roxette...! And Roxette have made a LOT of money from me over the years, I think they can forgive the one free album I got when I was 11!
Rich-UK said on October 8, 2004 13:06:
@ Sparvogamarie: Good point! I agree that there is not much difference between downloading the odd track and getting a copy of some music from a friend or recording something off the radio. But equally there is a big difference between these actions and the type of behaviour described in the article. I know some people who used to buy lots of music but now expect to download everything and buy nothing. In my opinion this behaviour is wrong, so I support the lawsuits filed against the peristent offenders who “share large collections of copyrighted music” mentioned in the article.
@ goetz: who are you addressing?
Denstandigaresan said on October 8, 2004 13:13:
I’m too much of a wimp to download! (Virus wise)
I have downloaded some songs from friends, but listen then delete... or usually buy. (Bows down to CDWOW! ;))
I prefer DVDs myself... and REAL DVDs not burns.
Jud (moderator) said on October 8, 2004 13:18:
actually i delete the songs / albums that i thought would be nice and then suck, why to waste space ;) Anyway, i don’t think this is the way to go, people can always organise themselves to go back to the “school-sharing”... ;)
Denstandigaresan said on October 8, 2004 13:26:
Taping from radio... taping from tv etcetcetc it’s ALL illegal, but 99% of us do it.
I’m just fussy me. ;)
Don’t get me wrong, I have received copies of albums from people... which I do listen to. I’m not totally sin free. ;)
msoren said on October 8, 2004 13:42:
“Did I get it right: If something is too expensive, you have to steal it ????? There‘s a simple response to that arguement: don‘t consume what you can‘t afford! Food got more expensive as well (at least in germany it did) but I don‘t steal it although it is more important than music!”
Love that comment by user “goetz”. Thats so true!
Also, Id there was no internet and no chance to download songs, most of you guys wouldnt say CDs are to expensive. Cos when U say its expensive you compare buying a cd with stealing it!
per_mson said on October 8, 2004 13:45:
@jobarth: Just a question since you don’t think CDs are too expensive. Do you have too much money? I personally can’t afford to buy so many CDs as I wish I could. If they on the other hand costed half the price I think I could buy what I want.
coyboyusa said on October 8, 2004 14:32:
hte only way to get cd prices to drop is to stop buying them and NOT downalod mp3’s if anyone actually read studies on this the simple fact is that the advent of mp3 technology has caused the proce of cd’s to go up an average of a buck or more a year. stop buying the cd’s its that simple.
and the big problem with downaloding is that peopel arte reselling copies of albums burned from the internet if they weren’t doing that there wouldnt be such a problem which counteractsd the argument that well i tape from radio and tv....yeah but do you sell it or give it to someoen who will eventually sell it no! thats why there r now boxed sets of big tv shows, its kills the market for bootleggers, so everyone stop buying cs, if u hurt the industry enough they will beg u to come back n buy until then nothing will change
goetz said on October 8, 2004 16:17:
Well, i think it‘s clearly waiting to happen, that in the near future, we will all suffer a lack of well-ordered recored stores. The good news is: Songs will be sold via internet and you nomore have to buy a crappy album containing the only good song it was promoted with. Bands won‘t be able to hide poor studiosessions behind one good single anymore. They‘ll have to re-discover the old “All killer-No filler”-Philosophie.
goetz said on October 9, 2004 09:34:
...and can‘t hide lack of talent and playing skills behind good recordings aswell...
AURYTE said on October 9, 2004 20:36:
I’m against downloading. But then it is a question: what about the material that never was released or is very rare & out of print, for instance RARITIES, MTV Unplugged by ROXETTE. Without the Intenet we couldn’t listen to the stuff like this. So I’m against the downloading of stuff which is avalaible on CD’c/DVD’s.
RoxHard said on October 10, 2004 19:45:
I totall agree with Auryte!
And I honestly think that downloading is good for the industry. Look at all the comments posted by people who download music, a lot of them state “I went out and bought the album”. Come on... we all know most MP3s are TERRIBLE quality. I myself love having the nice little booklet and great quality music. So downloading will never replace buying CDs for me.
nd I seriously believe that downloading does help the industry. My CD collection has quadrupled in size since I started downloading MP3’s.
mbroxer said on October 12, 2004 04:48:
The only reason why they are suing people is because they want to control what we listen to and what we buy. It’s not about CDs, those are dying fast - who has a goode olde CD player at all nowadays? Even car audio now supports MP3s. I only listen to music in my PC, and I get really pissed off with those “copy protected” discs (I still can rip them, it just takes more of precious time). I don’t buy CDs anymore (except for Roxette) - what’s the use if I can’t listen to them the way I like? The music download servers, like allofmp3.com, is the future, and as long as they have Flac or at least OGG, I’m quite happy about it.
Kazaa and emule for me is like radio, but free, liberated radio, without commercials, without some buggery DJs forcing me to listen to what music industry thinks is better. I don’t get brain-washed and don’t waste a fortune on what I will throw away tomorrow. Let people share, as it’s in our nature, not everybody wants to get paid for every cough he makes. Find ways to attract people to your music or movies some other way, not by suing them if they don’t want to buy it.
I mean, real good artists will still be on top, as they perform, tour, have fans who buy whatever they release, etc. This sharing only affects pockets of recording companies and the music industry. To prohibit people to share music is like to prohibit to cook at home, as it cuts cafes and restourants revenue.
LaMan said on October 7, 2004 19:53:
assholes. CD‘s ARE too expensive.