February 25th, 2009
Music industry blames PirateBay for losses
One might accept on its face the assertion of John Kennedy, the head of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, that music sales have plummeted 30 percent since 2001. It’s much, much harder to buy that Internet piracy is the only reason. With Kazaa and Grokster emasculated through court action, the industry’s attention has turned to The PirateBay and a joint criminal/civil action in Sweden against the torrent-linking site’s founders.
(See Prosecutor drops a charge in PirateBay case and PirateBay’s I-dunno defense)
AP reports that Kennedy told the Stockholm District Court that TPB is “the No. 1 source of illegal music.”
Over a period of time, piracy has done immense damage to the music industry. I believe [the music and movie companies bringing the suit] are justified and may even be conservative because the damage is immense.
After the hearing, Kennedy spoke to reporters:
I want Pirate Bay to close down. I want some compensation and I want it to be clear people cannot steal other people’s property without there being consequences. I don’t think it can be eradicated any more than any other crimes. I think it could be brought to a more manageable level.
Criminals. When the industry can shake this mindset, that customers can only do one thing with the music they purchase, that anything else is criminal, that their development and marketing practices, have nothing to do with the problem, then … they might see a viable, non-litigation future. Not hopeful.
