From Peter Becker Sent Wed, Jun 16th 1999, 14:07
Any German idmers having troubles? Peter > From http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9906/11/shutdown.idg/ > > > German MP3 sites shut down > > June 11, 1999 > Web posted at: 3:34 p.m. EDT (1934 GMT) > by Mark Lisabeth D'Amico > > MUNICH (IDG) -- A German music industry trade group Wednesday said it > has shut down over 100 illegal music Web sites in recent months. > > The moves have been directed mainly at sites which offer users MP3 > (Motion Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer 3,) files for songs to > which they have not obtained the copyright, said the German branch of > the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in a > statement issued yesterday. > > MP3 is a format for compressing audio files, so that they can be > easily downloaded over the Internet and stored on a disk drive or > mobile player. Software to create and play MP3 files is freely > available, opening the door to possible online music piracy. > > Working with IFPI members in 70 other countries, the German IFPI > Group conducts constant searches of illegal Web sites, the group > said. Internet piracy cost the music industry at least 20 million > marks ($10.7 million) in 1998, the group said, and that figure is > expected to rise in the future. > > The downloading of MP3 files continues to explode, in spite of > efforts by the IFPI and other music industry associations to stop the > illegal copying. MP3 supporters argue that the recording industry > will have to accept the software piracy, and instead come up with > another way to make money, such as offering music downloads on Web > sites supported by advertising and subscriptions. > Mary Lisbeth D'Amico writes for the IDG News Service. xxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx, Peter Becker fax: 718-246-6870 , attention "Becker, Box 282" mailing adress: 138 Court St. , Box 282 , Brooklyn, NY 11201