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23rd January 2012 - IFPI publishes Digital Music Report 2012 IFPI's Digital Music Report 2012 is published today, providing a comprehensive overview and analysis of the global digital music business at the start of 2012. DIGITAL MUSIC GOES GLOBAL IN 2011 WHILE ACTIONS ON PIRACY GAIN MOMENTUM
Commenting on the Report, Frances Moore, CEO of IFPI, said: "As we enter 2012, there are good reasons for optimism in the world of digital music. Legal services with expanding audiences have reached across the globe and consumer choice has been revolutionised. Meanwhile momentum is building in the fight against piracy as governments and a growing circle of intermediaries engage with our industry." To download a copy of the report please go to http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/DMR2012.pdf 11th January 2012 - Meteor Choice Music Prize Shortlist The Meteor Choice Music Prize shortlist for Irish Album of the Year 2011 was announced today. The overall winning Album of the Year will be selected by the judging panel at the Meteor Choice Music Prize Live Event at The Olympia Theatre, Dublin on Thursday, March 8th 2012. The winning act will receive 10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). All of the shortlisted acts will receive a specially-commissioned award, courtesy of the Recorded Artists Actors & Performers Ltd (RAAP). The shortlist is as follows (artists listed in alphabetical order): And So I Watch You From Afar Gangs (Richter Collective) Bell X1 Bloodless Coup (Belly Up Records) Cashier No 9 To The Death Of Fun (Bella Union) Lisa Hannigan - Passenger (Hoop Records) The Japanese Popstars Controlling Your Allegiance (EMI) Jape Ocean of Frequency (Music Is For Losers) Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands Golden Syrup (Osaka Records) Pugwash The Olympus Sounds (EMI/1969 Records) Tieranniesaur Tieranniesaur (Popical Island) We Cut Corners Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards (Delphi) For more information please visit http://www.choicemusicprize.com
12th September 2011 - Recording Industry Welcomes EU Decision On Copyright Term Extension IFPI has issued the following press release today: Brussels, 12th September 2011 The international recording industry welcomed today's decision by the European Union to extend the term of copyright protection offered to performers and producers from 50 to 70 years. The decision was applauded by Plαcido Domingo, chairman of IFPI, which represents the recording industry worldwide: "The decision to extend the term of protection for recordings in Europe is great news for performing artists. Artists at the start of their careers will benefit from an increased pool of revenue that will be available to invest in new talent. Established artists can benefit from their work throughout their lifetimes. This is especially important today when licensed digital services make music widely available online. "Extension of protection also reflects the important role performers play in the success of songs by narrowing the gap between the protection offered to recorded performances and that offered to compositions." Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, added: "This is a victory for fairness. With this decision, the European Union is giving artists and producers in Europe the fair treatment they deserve. The extension of the term of protection to 70 years narrows the gap between Europe and its international partners and improves the conditions for investment in new talent. "Over 38,000 artists and performers petitioned for this extension, supported by right holders from across the European music sector. Their calls have been heeded, and we thank the European Commission for having the vision to table this Directive, the European Parliament for giving it resounding support and the Member States, led on this occasion by the Polish Presidency of the EU, for making term extension a reality." For further information please see http://ifpi.org/content/section_news/20110912.html 26th July 2011 - Plácido Domingo named as IFPI Chairman Plácido Domingo has been named as chairman of IFPI, the organisation that represents the recording industry worldwide. Domingo is a world-renowned, multifaceted artist. Recognised as one of the finest and most influential singing actors in the history of opera, he is also a conductor and a major force as an opera administrator in his role as general director of the LA Opera. As a singer, his repertoire encompasses 134 roles, a number unmatched by any other tenor in history, with more than 3500 career performances. During his 40-year career, he has made more than 100 recordings of complete operas, compilations of arias and duets, and crossover discs. He has conducted more than 450 operatic performances and symphonic concerts with the world's major orchestras and opera companies. As one of the celebrated "three tenors" in 1990, along with Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras, he brought opera to a mass global audience. He has recorded with all the major international record companies and won prolific acclaim including 12 Grammy awards. He has also been a dedicated supporter of young artists, founding programmes to promote the careers of future opera stars. As chairman, Domingo will play a leading role promoting IFPI's priorities internationally. These include improving copyright legislation, promoting the work of music rights owners, helping develop a thriving digital music sector and supporting the industry's public education efforts around digital music. Plαcido Domingo said: "It is a great honour to be invited to become the chairman of IFPI. I have always passionately believed in the importance of respecting talent and in the rights of all those who perform, create, produce and invest in music. Today, the world of music and in fact most of the arts is undergoing enormous changes and challenges. Technology, which on one hand allows artists to reach many more than ever before, has led to a debate about how to find a way to protect the intellectual property rights of artists, creators and all those living and working in the world of music. I look forward to being a part of those discussions." Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said: “It is a privilege to welcome Plácido Domingo to IFPI. He is an artist of unrivalled talent and authority who speaks from the heart about the issues that matter to him. His forceful advocacy for the intellectual property rights of the music sector comes at a pivotal moment, as governments in many countries consider new legislation to curb piracy and help develop the legitimate digital music business”. Please see http://www.ifpi.org/ for further information. 11th October 2010 - EMI Records (IRL) LTD, Sony Music Entertainment IRL LTD, Universal Music IRL LTD, Warner Music IRL LTD AND WEA International Inc V UPC Speaking after the Judgement today Mr Willie Kavanagh , Chairman of IRMA said "We are extremely disappointed that the High Court today has effectively determined that the Irish State has failed to protect the constitutional rights of copyright holders , by failing to implement EU Copyright directives correctly". Dick Doyle, Director General of IRMA added "The High Court has acknowledged that Irish artists, composers and recording companies are sustaining huge losses and internet providers are profiting from the wholesale theft of music. The Judge made it very clear that an injunction would be morally justified but that the Irish legislature had failed in its obligation to confer on the courts the right to grant such injunctions unlike other EU states. We will now look to the Irish Government to fully vindicate the constitutional rights of Copyright holders and we reserve the right to seek compensation for the past and continuing losses from the State". 16th April 2010 - Overwhelming Victory for Irish Artists in High Court "The right to be identified with and to reasonably exploit one's own original creative endeavour I regard as a human right". "It is completely within the legitimate standing of Eircom to act, and to be seen to act, as a body which upholds the law and Constitution. That is what the Court expects of both individuals and companies." Mr Justice Peter Charleton Following the significant decision by Mr Justice Charleton in the High Court today, IRMA and Eircom will now proceed with their graduated response to illegal filesharing which was agreed in February 2009. The decision vindicates IRMA's position that an IP address refers solely to the network address of a computer and is not personal data when in IRMA's possession. The graduated response programme now proceeds to the educational and awareness campaign. International research shows that 90% of illegal filesharers will desist on being notified for the second time by their ISP. The graduated response programme allows for 3 notifications and the ultimate sanction of disconnection will only happen after 3 infringements and after due process. Speaking after the decision, Dick Doyle, Director General of IRMA said "we are very pleased with this decision today. Resolving this issue has caused 6 months of disruption to the IRMA/Eircom agreement. We will now proceed immediately to implement the full agreement. Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA, added " the whole music industry, including performers, composers and record labels, has been decimated by illegal peer to peer traffic and our losses amount to over 60m per annum. Our industry has lost 40% in sales value between 2005 and 2009 with devastating effects on Artists and creativity. Today's decision is the first step back towards allowing Artists to make a living again. " "This is a landmark decision. The judge's emphatic and eloquent words will be reported around the world, and be welcomed by musicians, composers, filmmakers and actors everywhere." U2 manager Paul McGuinness In his Judgement today Mr Justice Peter Charleton said: "The internet is only a means of communication. It has not rewritten the legal rules of each nation through which it passes. It is not an amorphous extraterrestrial body with an entitlement to norms that run counter to the fundamental principles of human rights. There is nothing in the criminal or civil law which legalises that which is otherwise illegal simply because the transaction takes place over the internet." The written Judgment can be viewed on www.Courts.ie. 1st September 2009 - eircom blocks access to Pirate Bay eircom confirms that the company will block access to the website the PirateBay.org, its related domain names, IP addresses and URLs from this morning the 1st September 2009 in compliance with an Order made by the High Court on 24th July 2009. Therefore eircom broadband customers who attempt to access the Pirate Bay website from this time will be denied entry. On Friday, 24th July representatives of the music industry, The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) applied for and secured an order from the High Court directing eircom to block access to the Pirate Bay website (www.thepiratebay.org) and its related domain names, IP address and URLs. The Court was satisfied that on the basis of the evidence presented by the record companies that the PirateBay website is a website that facilitates the exchange of copyrighted sound recordings without the consent of the copyright owners. eircom recognises the legitimate rights of the owners of copyrighted material and believes that individuals who share or download copyrighted material without the authorisation or the permission of the copyright owner are acting illegally. The Order further provides that should the PirateBay website content be legitimatised in the future, then eircom has liberty to apply to the Court to have the Order vacated and access to the PirateBay website enabled. eircom has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the four major labels to develop an innovative new music service for all Irish consumers. This new music service is expected to launch in the next few months. Please refer to our Piracy FAQs for further information. 28th January 2009 - P2P Infringement Case Settled High Court proceedings between four major record companies, EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner and Eircom which have been at trial for eight days, have been settled on an amicable basis with both sides expressing satisfaction with the outcome. Both parties have agreed on a joint approach under which they will work closely together to end the abuse of the Internet by P2P copyright infringers. The settlement reached between the parties provides that the record companies will supply eircom with the IP addresses of all persons who they detect illegally uploading or downloading copyright works on a peer to peer ( P2P) basis. Eircom has agreed that it will from now on implement a graduated process in which it will: 1) inform its broadband subscriber that the subscribers IP address has been detected infringing copyright and 2) warn the subscriber that unless the infringement ceases the subscriber will be disconnected and 3) in default of compliance by the subscriber with the warning it will disconnect the subscriber. The record companies have agreed that they will take all necessary steps to put similar agreements in place with all other IPSs in Ireland. 17th November 2008 - Christmas comes early for Ireland's bands of tomorrow!The IRMA Trust is donning a Santa hat early this year, speeding round the country to deliver sackfuls of free musical equipment to Ireland's bands of tomorrow! Successful applicants in the recent initiative in association with The Arts Council and Music Network will be receiving the starter packs this month containing everything a young band need to dip a tremulous toe into the murky waters of fame and fortune. Twenty-one facilities around Ireland were shortlisted for an intensive assessment from the sackfuls of applications for the scheme. Of these The IRMA Trust has now confirmed that twelve community facilities will receive the packages of guitars, amps, drum kits and keyboards along with a P.A. system, rehearsal recording equipment, microphones, accessories and a starter fund of €500 to get things rolling. The successful applicants include: Three additional facilities with particularly strong applications will also receive a selection of instruments from The IRMA Trust Instrument Bank. These include: Cavan Community Youth Projects Donegal Youth Service All in all the initiative will be distributing 130,000 worth of brand new equipment to rehearsal spaces open to bands from the local community. As one of Ireland's most successful new bands Delorentos, who helped launch the initiative in June, commented: "The big thing for bands starting out is the expense and the lack of someone helping them along. The IRMA Trust has provided this money to set up facilities and have instruments available so that those bands can go along and get started!" Dick Doyle, Chair of the IRMA Trust stated that "The Trust is delighted with the outcome of the Capital Music Scheme. We were astonished at the level of music activity nationwide and are very pleased to be able to provide assistance to fifteen organisations throughout the country. Our original mission was to give something back from the industry and to provide young people with the opportunity to be actively involved in making music. This scheme is a most fitting final programme for the IRMA Trust. We hope that these new partnerships between the music industry, The Arts Council and the youth arts community endure into the future and that these new rehearsal rooms are filled with music." 23rd June 2008 - The IRMA Trust, The Arts Council and Music Network invest in Ireland's bands of tomorrow! The IRMA Trust has launched an initiative, in association with The Arts Council and Music Network, that will make 130,000 available in 2008 to equip rehearsal spaces for young bands and music groups around Ireland. Up to 15 (with a minimum of 10) high quality starter packs will include everything a budding band might need to get started on the path to fame and fortune - guitars, amps, drum kit and a digital piano plus a P.A. system, rehearsal recording equipment and a host of mics, accessories and additional hardware. These will be delivered complete with an introductory workshop by an experienced technician and a starter fund of 500. "The big thing for bands starting out is the expense and the lack of someone helping them along," explained Irish band Delorentos who lent their support to the launch of the scheme. "The IRMA Trust has provided this money to set up facilities and have instruments available so that they can go along and get started. Young acts should approach their own local centres and encourage them to apply!" Applications can be made now by rehearsal facilities, venues, music collectives, youth and community groups and resource organisations. Application forms and guidelines can be accessed online at: www.musicnetwork.ie ; by e-mail to capitalscheme@musicnetwork.ie ; by telephoning the Music Capital Scheme Manager on 01-671-9429; or by writing to Music Capital Scheme Manager, Music Network, The Coach House, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2 The closing date for applications is 29th September and applications will be assessed in October and an annoucement of the successful applicants will be made in November with equipment delivered in time for Christmas! The IRMA Trust's partnership with The Arts Council and Music Network will see a total fund of 630,000 invested in music capital needs over a 3 year period. The funds will seek to offer musicians from all disciplines access to musical instruments and equipment that could provide essential hands-on experience for the musical stars of the future. In 2008 three different types of awards will be made through the Music Capital Scheme, Stream 3, which is funded by The IRMA Trust will offer support for rehearsal equipment while the other two funds will aim, respectively, to develop instrument banks for non-professional ensembles; and for highly skilled professional musicians,to provide up to 50% of the purchase of high value musical instruments. Dick Doyle, IRMA Trust Director & CEO of IRMA & PPI, stated: "The IRMA Trust is pleased to partner The Arts Council on a national scheme of this nature. The Trust has invested over 1.5million to date in helping young people gain access to music. What this scheme is all about is bringing rehearsal facilities locally to young bands." This is the final scheme that the Trust will launch before it closes its doors at the end of 2008. 1st August 2007 - First Prison Term for Music Piracy This week sees the very first prison sentence imposed for music piracy in Ireland, when Martin McDonagh from Longford was jailed for 6 months. The defendant was caught on Sunday 26th November at Drishogue Market with 226 counterfeit music CDS and a large quantity of DVDs. He appeared before Carrick On Shannon District Court on Wednesday July 25th, on copyright charges and pleaded guilty. In addition to a jail sentence of 6 months, the Judge fined him €1,000 plus costs. 'This sends out a strong warning sign to anyone involved in illegal counterfeiting and CD selling. It is stealing from people who make a livelihood from music. We will do everything in our power to seek out and prosecute anyone involved in any form of unlawful music practice. This is the first prison sentence that has been imposed and we intend that it will not be the last'. Dick Doyle - Director General, IRMA. 7th June 2007 - 5 Users account for over 108,000 shared illegal music files - High Court allows names and addresses to be identified IRMA continues on its anti-piracy drive, this time targeting individuals who file share music on the internet. For the last 6 months, IRMA has undertaken a major internet antipiracy operation. They have closely monitored and identified the activity of 23 individuals who have been involved in illegal music file sharing and distribution. Between them they have been distributing almost 180,000 music files. Incredibly the top five users are responsible for illegally sharing over 108,000 music files, with one particular individual having over 37,500 files. Today the High Court gave the go ahead for 6 ISP (Internet Service Providers) Digiweb, Smart Telecom, Irish Broadband, NTL, Eircom and Imagine to provide the names and addresses for all twenty three people involved in this illegal activity. IRMA pledged today that they will pursue and prosecute all 23 persons engaged in wholescale theft of our music. 'They are stealing from our artists and affecting the livelihood of many people in the music industry. We will not tolerate this and will do everything in our power to ensure they are brought to justice', said Dick Doyle, Director General of IRMA. Mr. Doyle also warned parents to be ever vigilant with the family computer as many young people were involved in file sharing probably unbeknownst to their parents. Sharing music on P2P is illegal and carries serious penalties. To date IRMA has prosecuted some 66 individuals, 61 of which have paid financial penalties. 30th May 2007 - CD WOW fined 61 million for illegal imports Internet retailer CD WOW has been ordered to pay the British and Irish pop industry 61 million in damages (£41 million stg). The Hong Kong based business had been illegally importing CDs and music DVDs from outside the EEA and selling them to Irish and UK residents, despite having given the court assurances it would stop. This is the largest award ever made in favour of the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) and IRMA (the Irish Recorded Music Association) and sets an important legal precedent as the industry seeks to prevent the illegal importing of CDs. Dick Doyle, director general of IRMA said 'This is a significant legal victory for the Irish and UK record companies. Not only has CD WOW been undermining the legitimate business of both the record companies and retailers, flouting the law by continuing to import CDs and music DVDs from Asia at the expense of the musicians and the music industry that supports them, they have also avoided paying VAT. Willie Kavanagh, chairman of IRMA, added 'we promised the retail industry that we would take on this unfair competition and we have delivered on our promise'. Stephen Fitzgerald, managing director of Golden Discs said 'any judgement which levels the playing field for all physical and online retailers is a welcome one. The practices of parallel importing and exporting under the low value consignment relief scheme do not serve the industry, artist or consumer'. The result today sends out a clear warning to those who indulge in illegal music practice, they will not be tolerated by the music industry who have made a commitment that they will do everything in their power to prosecute and go after any individual who indulges in any form of unlawful music practice be it illegal downloading, file sharing, counterfeiting or illegally importing music. Hundreds of Irish and UK artists such as Snow Patrol, U2, Enya, Robbie Williams and Damien Rice are among the imported artists that CD WOW was illegally selling. The UK High Court found CD WOW guilty in March of Contempt of Court, by breaching an undertaking it gave to the court in 2004 to stop illegally importing and selling CDs and music DVDs. The inquiry on the amount of damages to be paid was not due to be heard until July, however because CD WOW failed to co-operate with orders made by Mr Justice Evans in March, the judge decided not to wait and brought the assessment forward. He ordered CD WOW to pay stg£41m in damages. Steps have now been taken to enforce the stg £41 million damages award, and the company's Hong Kong bank accounts and assets have been frozen. 21st March 2007 - Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) wins landmark ruling in UK on illegal imports, against on-line retailer CDWOWThe Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) in partnership with BPI, the UK record companies' trade association have won their court case against CDWOW, the online music retailer who was found in contempt of court after repeatedly breaching undertakings to cease illegal importing. The case centred on the retailer's practice of parallel importing - selling CDs to Irish and UK customers that have not been manufactured in the European Economic Area (EEA). In this case the CDs were imported from the Far East. In reference to the contempt of court claims, the High Court Judge pointed to "strong evidence that CDWOW was committing widespread breach of the undertakings... when the contempt application was launched" and that "CDWOW had taken no effective steps to ensure compliance with the undertakings even after an application for contempt had been served". The full sum for fines, costs and damages are to be decided at a hearing in early July. The judge ordered CDWOW to pay a £150,000stg immediately towards legal costs. Commenting on the ruling, Mr Dick Doyle, Director General of IRMA said: "We took this case, in the UK because Mr Philip Robinson is based there and its assets are there…we are delighted with the outcome. It sends a clear message to all companies engaged in illegally importing music CDs and DVDs into Ireland from outside Europe - you are breaching copyright law and you will be caught." Mr Willie Kavanagh, Chairman IRMA said: "This judgment is very important as it helps defend legitimate retailers in Ireland who are respecting the law, against illegal and unfair competition." 19th October 2006 - IRMA launches fresh wave of actions against illegal file-sharers IRMA (Irish Recorded Music Association) today announced legal actions against 10 music file-sharers as the recording industry continues to step up its campaign to deter copyright theft and promote legitimate use of music on the internet. As in previous instances, IRMA, through the Court, is asking Internet Service Providers to release the names of the individuals they have found to be abusing copyright on the Internet. The actions are aimed at 'uploaders' - people who have put hundreds or thousands of copyrighted songs onto internet file-sharing networks and offered them to millions of people worldwide without permission from the copyright owners. The industry is targeting uploaders using all the major unauthorised Peer to Peer services, including BitTorrent, eDonkey, DirectConnect, Gnutella, Limewire, SoulSeek and WinMX. As a result of its on-going legal actions against illegal filesharers, thus far IRMA has settled with 52 individuals at an average of €2,500 per case, is currently in talks with a further 14 and will consider its legal options if necessary with these remaining cases. Dick Doyle, Director General of IRMA said "When we announced this campaign in April 2005 we saw a dramatic fall in the number of file sharers on the Irish market. This was encouraging. However in recent months the number of files being uploaded has increased to proportions where we feel that we have no choice but to bring these individuals to justice for their actions". To date over 2,300 people worldwide have paid the price for illegally file-sharing copyrighted material. Many of those on the receiving end of legal action are parents whose children have been illegally file-sharing. They are finding that in many cases they are liable for any activities third parties undertake using their internet connection. IRMA continue to raise awareness with parents through initiatives such as educational brochures sent to colleges and businesses, an extensive radio campaign on national and local radio, on-going media interviews as well as providing an informative website www.pro-music.org. In the past year IRMA have worked closely with NCTE (National Centre for Technology in Education) to promote Digital File Check - a free computer program that will prevent users from illegal file-sharing. In recent days over 8,000 new cases in 17 countries have been announced,
including the first ever cases against illegal file-sharing in the two
biggest markets of South America and in Eastern Europe. A total of more
than 13,000 legal actions have now been taken outside the United States. 30th June 2006 - Irish Singles Chart Historic Change On 1st October 1962, the very first Irish Singles Chart was published. Elvis Presley was the first artist to chart at number one in Ireland with She's Not You a 7'' vinyl release. Since then the chart has undergone many changes and the introduction of computerised sale terminals for retail in the early 90's led to the present position where the Irish chart is recognised as the most accurate in the world. And now from 30th June, the biggest change in the history of the Top 50 Singles Chart will take place. The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) has announced that Digital Downloads will now be eligible for the Irish Charts, the original Top 50 singles chart will include all tracks from conventional CD sales plus any download track (single) purchased through legitimate sites. The results of the brand new Official Irish Chart will be broadcast on Friday 7th July 2006. The charts are currently made up from CD sales in nearly 400 stores around the country. However from 1st July, online sales from Apple iTunes, Eircom Music Club, Mycokemusic, Vodafone, Sony Connect, Bleep, Wippit and easyMusic will also be used to make up the chart. IRMA has been monitoring download track sales for the last three months prior to going live with the new charts. At present, sales for downloads in Ireland account for approx. 14% of all music sales. However when the new style charts are introduced it is expected they will follow the trend in the UK where sales of digital downloads have more than tripled in the last year and now account for over 50% of the singles market. The popularity of the download market is highlighted by the massive hit 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley, which went straight to # 1 in the UK on digital sales alone. This release amassed an incredible 40,000 sales in its first week. 'We have always had the most accurate chart in the world, representing over 90 per cent of weekly sales through nearly 400 stores. Consumer purchasing is changing dramatically and we intend to keep our chart fresh by introducing downloads to mirror this changing market place'. Dick Doyle, Director General IRMA. The brand new Official Irish Chart will be officially launched on Friday
30th June and the results of the very first download chart will be broadcast
and published on Friday 7th July, the start of the third quarter 2006. 24th January 2006 - Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) welcomes High Court decision on Illegal File Sharers IRMA, the Irish Recorded Music Association, today welcomed the decision of the High Court in Dublin to oblige a number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to release the names of a further 49 individuals engaged in serial file uploading of music on the internet. Judge Peter Kelly today described the actions of the individuals as "tantamount to stealing - not on a minor scale but on a grand scale". He also informed IRMA that a court order allowed IRMA, at their discretion, not only to pursue these 49 cases for civil damages but also to pass the names on to the Authorities for criminal prosecutions. This is the second wave of proceedings to be taken by IRMA and comes after extensive educational initiatives to raise awareness of the damage done to the music industry by illegal file sharers. Despite a drop in the illegal sharing of music in the months following their initial phase of legal actions in July 2005, the number of files being shared illegally on the internet continues to grow. Speaking after the decision, Dick Doyle, Director General of IRMA commented:
"We will contact the 49 individuals or firms and offer them the opportunity
to settle the action. If they refuse, we will be forced to pursue the
matter through the Courts. We hope that, along with our consistent information
drives, these litigations will lead to parents of teenagers and others
discussing illegal file-sharing and ensuring that it does not affect their
household or office". The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) today announced Phase II of its legal action against "serial filesharers" in Ireland who illegally make copyrighted music available on the Internet. Now IRMA is seeking damages and injunctions against 50 more individuals or companies who have illegally uploaded hundreds or thousands of music tracks onto peer-to-peer filesharing networks. As in Phase I, IRMA, through the Court, is asking Internet Service Providers to release the names of the individuals they have found to be abusing copyright on the Internet. The major filesharers subject to legal action include users of the filesharing network FastTrack - on which KaZaA runs - and the Gnutella network. As a result of its first phase legal action against 17 illegal filesharers last April, IRMA has settled with 12 at an average of €2,500 per case, is suing a further 3, and is considering its legal options in the 2 remaining cases. IRMA Chairman, Willie Kavanagh, said: "Regrettably, the legal action
continues against serial file sharers. Despite a fall off of up to 50%
in illegal activity in April-June following our initial campaign, the
numbers have substantially increased in the July-September period. The
scale of the challenge and the damage is apparent when we consider that
any one of these individuals engaged in illegal filesharing could be connected
to some 2-3 million others at any one time on the Internet." IRMA's Phase II legal action comes after a significant and successful year for legitimate online music services offering legal downloads to consumers. This new wave of legal actions is aimed at deterring the illegals and giving crucial breathing space to legal services, and allowing them further room to develop their customer services. There are six major legitimate services in Ireland: iTunes, Eircom Music Club, mycoke.com, vitaminic.com music club, wippit.co.uk and Sony Connect. Dick Doyle, Director General of IRMA said: "Despite our original legal actions and the press coverage involved with same, it is clear to us that some people are still prepared to act illegally and in a persistent manner. IRMA must protect its members' interests by taking on file sharers who refuse to get the message." The launch of these Phase II legal actions in Ireland forms part of an announcement from the international recording industry, that it too, is stepping up litigation against illegal filesharers internationally. IFPI, the organisation representing the recording industry worldwide, today announced a total of 2,000 new actions launched in 16 countries in Europe and Asia. Éanna Casey, Chief Executive of Recorded Artists and Performers
(R.A.A.P), said: "R.A.A.P fully endorses the actions outlined this
morning by IRMA in Phase II of their legal campaign. Online music piracy
is selfish, illegal and damaging, having a direct negative impact on the
economic welfare of Recording Artists and Performers. No industry can
be expected to allow illegal activities to continue unchallenged. The
unauthorised uploading of copyrighted music is being confronted vigorously
by IRMA, and R.A.A.P. is fully committed to protecting its members' moral
and economic rights through these actions." 29th September 2005 - Navan man charged with copyright infringement On 29th September 2005, John Paul Nevin, Navan, pleaded guilty to 4 sample charges of copyright infringement and was fined €1,500 on each of the 4 counts - a total of €6,000. The charges arose out of a raid carried out by members of An Garda Siochana on John Paul Nevin's house on 8th September 2004 and subsequent identification from IRMA. 8th July 2005 - IRMA Welcomes High Court Decision on Illegal File Sharers IRMA, the Irish Recorded Music Association, today welcomed the decision of the High Court in Dublin to compel a number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to release the names of the 17 individuals engaged in serial file sharing of music. This High Court action comes after 15 months of educational initiatives to raise awareness of the cultural and economic damage done by illegal file sharing. Abuse of copyright on the Internet has contributed to a EUR28 million drop in music sales in Ireland between 2001 and 2004. Speaking after the decision, Dick Doyle, Director General of IRMA commented:
"We will now be writing to the 17 individuals informing them of the
seriousness of their actions. We will offer them the opportunity of settling
the action. If they refuse our settlement terms, we will be forced to
pursue the matter through the Courts. This is a last resort for the music
industry. We hope that this decision will jolt others, particularly parents
of teenagers, to realise that unauthorised file sharing is illegal and
has consequences". 12th April 2005 - Irish Recording Industry Takes Legal Action Against Major Music Filesharers The Irish Recorded Music Association, IRMA, today announced the start of legal action against "serial filesharers" in Ireland who illegally make copyrighted music available on the Internet. IRMA is seeking damages and injunctions against 17 individuals who have illegally uploaded hundreds or thousands of music tracks onto peer-to-peer filesharing networks. As a first step, IRMA is asking Internet Service Providers to release the names of the individuals they have found to be abusing copyright on the Internet. The major filesharers subject to legal action include users of the filesharing network FastTrack - on which KaZaA runs - and the Gnutella network. IRMA Director General, Dick Doyle, said: "This action is being taken
against serial file sharers. The top six offenders have uploaded in excess
of 2,000 illegal files which is equivalent to 200 albums. This is wholesale
mass distribution and is effectively stealing the livelihood of the creators
of music. When you consider that each of these individuals could be connected
to up to 2 million others at any one time, you begin to appreciate the
scale of the damage. We have been issuing warnings for 15 months now.
It is time to take action - we are not accepting this situation anymore." The current legal action comes after 15 months of educational initiatives to raise awareness of the cultural and economic damage done by illegal file-sharing. These initiatives have included educational brochures sent to colleges and businesses, an extensive radio campaign on national and local radio, countless media interviews and an informative website www.pro-music.org. Instant messages have also been sent to the computers of illegal filesharers worldwide warning them of the consequences if they continue breaking the law. On behalf of the composers and publishers of music, Victor Finn, Managing Director of MCPS (Ireland) said: "We fully endorse the actions taken by IRMA today. All parties have been fully aware of their responsibilities for some time in this area. Unfortunately, not all have heeded the warnings given and they have made this action inevitable." IRMA's announcement comes after a breakthrough year for legitimate online music services that are offering legal downloads to consumers. The current legal action is aimed at giving crucial breathing space to legal services and allowing them room to develop. There are five major legitimate services in Ireland: iTunes, Eircom Music Club, mycoke.com, vitaminic.com music club and wippit.co.uk. The launch of legal actions in Ireland forms part of an announcement from the international recording industry that it is stepping up litigation against illegal filesharers internationally. IFPI, the organisation representing the recording industry worldwide, has today announced a total of 963 new actions launched in 11 countries in Europe and Asia. This brings the total number of cases against illegal filesharers to 11,552 worldwide. In Europe, 248 individuals, mostly men aged 25-35, have already paid average fines of €3,000. The latest research suggests that the international legal campaign is already having an impact. Overall, the number of infringing music files on the internet dropped from its peak of 1.1 billion in April 2003 to 870 million in January 2005, a drop of 21% despite a sharp rise in broadband penetration worldwide. KaZaa, which used to be the largest and most popular filesharing services, has seen its number of users drop by around 45% since the start of the warning and litigation campaign. Éanna Casey, Chief Executive of Recorded Artists and Performers
(R.A.A.P), said: "R.A.A.P fully endorses the actions outlined this
morning by IRMA. Online music piracy is selfish, illegal and has a direct
impact on the economic welfare of Recording Artists and Performers. No
industry can be expected to allow illegal activities to continue unchallenged,
the unauthorised uploading of copyrighted music is now being confronted
and R.A.A.P. is committed to protecting its members' moral and economic
rights." 19th January 2005 - Leitrim man charged with copyright infringement On 18th January 2005, Sean Kiernan, Carrigallen, Co Leitrim, pleaded guilty to 8 sample charges of copyright infringement and was fined €200 on 7 counts - a total of €1,400 - and was given a 3 months jail sentence suspended for 2 years on the 8th count. The charges arose out of a raid carried out by members of An Garda Siochana
on Sean Kiernan's van in Carrignagat, Four Roads, Co Roscommon on 21st
April 2004 and subsequent identification from IRMA. 22nd December 2004 - Pre-Christmas raids prove very successful Representatives of IRMA, backed by members of the Gardai carried out
multiple raids over the weekend. These include Inch and Drogheda Markets
on Saturday, the Unyoke, Balbriggan and Clara markets on Sunday, and Athy
market on Monday. Two private houses were also raided. A total of 9,521 units were seized (CD & DVD), as well as four 8-burner towers, three printers and two printer/scanner combinations. 15th December 2004 - Heavy fine for counterfeiter! On 11th November 2004, John McKeown - from Dromiskin - pleaded guilty
to 10 sample charges of copyright infringement and was fined €1,000
per count, a total of €10,000 in all. The charges arose out of a raid carried out by members of An Garda Siochana
on John McKeown's car in Dromad, Co Louth in February 2004 and subsequent
identification from IRMA. 8th December 2004 - Another successful Court case! On June 20th 2004, Gardai raided Castletownroche Market, Co Cork and seized quantities of counterfeit CDs and DVDs. Francis Reilly and Kevin McAreavey pleaded guilty yesterday in Fermoy Circuit Court and were fined €500 each, their counterfeit goods were confiscated, along with €2,700, and they were bound to the peace for 6 months. "The Drummer" asks music lovers to download legally November 16, 2004 - A new online advert calling on music lovers to "download legally" is being launched today by pro-music, the campaign to promote legitimate services and confront the myths surrounding online piracy. The advert can be seen on Longford man fined 15,000 following Clara Market seizures (06/11/04) Patrick McDonnell was charged at Clara Market, Woodfield, Co Offaly, with 10 breaches of the Copyright Act on June 8th and August 3rd 2003. All the counterfeit CDs and DVDs were confiscated and destroyed and fines of €1,500 were imposed on each of the 10 offences by Judge John Neilan. |