[Dave]

More than 8,000 alleged file sharers are facing legal action, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

This latest crackdown targets uploaders - people who allegedly put their music files onto peer-to-peer networks.

It forms part of the ongoing battle by the recording industry to put an end to illegal downloading.

In July, file sharing site Kazaa handed over more than $100m (£63m) to the music industry in settlements.


People should understand that they can be caught whatever network they are using.
John Kennedy

It followed other sites such as Napster in changing its service to offer legal downloads.

The new cases cover file sharers in 17 different countries who have been allegedly using sites including BitTorrent, eDonkey, SoulSeek and WinMX.

For the first time legal action is being taken in Brazil, Mexico and Poland.

The IFPI said the actions affect a wide-variety of people: a laboratory assistant has been charged in Finland, while a parson has been served with action in Germany.

Parents whose children have been illegally file-sharing have also been targeted.

John Kennedy, chairman and chief executive of IFPI, said: "In each of the 17 countries involved in today's actions there are legal music services available to consumers. There is no excuse.

"People should understand that they can be caught whatever network they are using. The next time a series of law suits are announced you could be on the receiving end if you are an illegal file-sharer."

The recording industry says it has been heavily hit by illegal downloading and that it has affected producers, writers and performers.

Critics of the IFPI's policy argue that the music industry is targetting its natural audience and that the real causes of CD sales declining are DVD sales, computer games sales and pricing.

[Sparhawk]

Dave
While i agree that it is wrong to use peer to peer to download music {and video} I cannot see it being stopped. There are well over 5 million people {over all the sites} doing it so 8000 is a drop in the ocean.
The industry only have themselves to blame, if they had nipped it at the start they may have won ,but not now. As youngsters we ALL made cassettes up using friends records, this is just carring on that {but on a much larger scale}
The music industry will shout and scream as much as they can but it is Worldwide as we all know and no company {even MS} will be able to track all the people that are doing it, they can try to hit the SP's and close some down but new ones will spring up to replace them
Regards
Sparhawk

[lolyton]

I meant to vote for two things but forgot, i like the cheaper option too.

[Sparhawk]

One other point i would say with regards to music artists is that a number of people I have spoken to have said that without p2p they would not have found some very good artists that may not be main stream outside of thier native country and because of getting such music have gone on to get CD's imported therefore both giving the artist the royalties they deserve but also expanding the artists to {poss} far more people than would be.
I think {with some genre of music} most people will not buy on spec but if you are able to listen {abet ilegally}for the select few the artist {and music industry} do not loose out
Regards
Sparhawk

[dod]

8000 is a start. Roll on the next 8000

[Steve]

Only three replies but an interesting spread of votes. It seems that the topic has definately split the members here

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Sparhawk

One other point i would say with regards to music artists is that a number of people I have spoken to have said that without p2p they would not have found some very good artists that may not be main stream outside of thier native country and because of getting such music have gone on to get CD's imported therefore both giving the artist the royalties they deserve but also expanding the artists to {poss} far more people than would be.
I think {with some genre of music} most people will not buy on spec but if you are able to listen {abet ilegally}for the select few the artist {and music industry} do not loose out
Regards
Sparhawk

I would agree with Sparhawk and that is the main reason I use file sharing from time to time. If someone suggests have you heard so-and-so, or x track, then I will download it and, if I like it, I go buy it. I've found some great stuff that I would not otherwise have come across and artist benefits in the end if I buy the CDs.

This, unfortunately, is the way things are going - technology has seen to that - and the music industry is going to have to get to grips with it somehow, or quit griping. I think someone has mentioned that this is no different from recording copies of cassettes from your mates when you were a kid, albeit a bit more widespread.

[Dave]

Agree fully with SparHawk & Angela here

[dod]

Same old arguments to justify theft. I suppose then we shouldn't prosecute those pirating DVD's, I mean they're only providing a service to the customers who are only testing the film to see if they like it before they buy a genuine copy?

And what about shoplifters? Let's just reduce the price of all goods or better yet the shops give stuff away?

Pfft.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by dod

Same old arguments to justify theft.

Pfft.

Which is why I'm saying that the music industry has to get to grips with the problem. I don't have a problem paying a peer-to-peer network for downloads (I don't upload) and they pay whoever they pay royalties to, based on the number of downloads, with an annual fee or soemthing. It's not a difficult concept but no-one seems to be able to put it into practice.

Yes, you will still always have pirates. You will have with whatever media you use to record music but the internet is not going to go away and people will take advantage if it's openly available to them. As I said, the industry needs to quit griping and moaning and sort out some legal way for P-to-P to continue...because it sure as hell won't go away either.

[dod]

There are plenty of legal sites where you can down load music and pay for it. Blaming the fact that it is easier to share/steal on the internet is quite frankly ridiculous. It's like saying we'll prosecute BMW next time someone is caught speeding, or the local Roads authority. What happened to personal accountability?

As far as I can see the industry has stopped moaning, now it's taking action and it's the culprits who are moaning.

Taking a slighlty different approach lets say one of us has our images on a website and a company spots one and uses it in a brochure, without asking permission or paying. The owner spots it, objects to the company and they say "we're only doing a trial run to see if it's any good" "If it works we'll come back and pay you, after all it was on the internet"

Still okay?

[Angela]

I'm not saying it's right Dod, just that it happens.

[IanHoughton]

What i find annoying is you buy an album to find 1-2 goods songs and the rest are just rubbish.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by IanHoughton

What i find annoying is you buy an album to find 1-2 goods songs and the rest are just rubbish.

I have been there and done that sooo many times in the past

Thankfully over here in germany it is common place to go into a music shop and request to listen to a whole album in one of the many avaiable listening booths. I suppose if everywhere had these facilities it would remove one possible excuse for the music sharing pirates...it wouldn't work for films though