Last Sunday a top official of the music industry, Jay Berman, has said that Europe's 600,000 music professionals risk losing their jobs unless the industry fights back.
According to Mr. Berman the music professionals are all potential victims of online music piracy. Music creators and rights holders who are denying their right to choose how their music is used and enjoyed are paying the price:
The music industry is facing its fourth straight year of declining sales. Executives blame the rise of Internet file-sharing services such as Grokster, Kazaa and Morpheus, plus rampant CD copying by consumers and organized criminal groups. |
Compared to the United States, which has the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, Europe lacks strong laws that would penalize individuals for distributing and reproducing copyrighted materials such as music, films and software.
Undeterred, Berman said the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) would step up its litigation efforts against online piracy on behalf of its music label trade members, targeting individuals who download who download many songs.
The article also mentions Berman criticizing British pop star Robbie Williams, who Saturday called file-sharing "great." "There's nothing anybody can do about it," Williams said at a news conference, a statement that later struck a nerve with music executives.
Source: Yahoo!News
