March 2005
Italian DJ fined for Illegal Music and Video Downloads
An Italian DJ has been fined 1.4 million Euros by the Italian police after being caught by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) using 2000 pirated MP3 music files and 500 pirated video clips in a local nightclub.
The DJ was discovered as part of a police operation targeting radio stations and clubs around Rome. The fine is the largest to be imposed on an individual in Europe in the recent effort to combat copying and the use of copyrighted music in the MP3 format and it is reported that the DJ may also be subjected to criminal sanctions. The IFPI are hopeful that this precedent will serve as a deterrent for others.
BRIFFA Comment:
Piracy is thriving and the industry watchdogs are clamping down. To date, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has issued lawsuits against more than 8500 named and unnamed individuals, all alleged to have illegally distributed music files using P2P software. In the UK 23 file-sharers have agreed to pay up to £4,500 each in order to settle cases brought against them by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The BPI is also going to the High Court to seek orders for the disclosure of the identities of a further 31 illegal file-sharers on a range of P2P networks, including KaZaA, eDonkey, Grokster, Soulseek, DirectConnect, Limewire, Bearshare and Imesh. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is also stepping up the fight against unauthorised movie downloaders.
The industry's actions are part of a global campaign to bring down illegal file-sharing figures and to promote the use of alternative legal downloads. There is ample evidence that the industry intends to fight piracy all the way and the message is that companies and individuals alike should watch out.