The legal streaming music library Spotify had no problem finding its way into the hands of music-hungry consumers this year. Its intuitive interface and huge catalogue of music made it an instant leader in digital music services.
So it’s inevitable that with success comes scrutiny as commentators attempt to analyse and figure out exactly how Spotify is able to stream such a huge range of music and still afford to operate. It was no surprise really when it was reported in August that major labels owned a combined 18% share in the company. Continue Reading..»
Two months back I wrote about the music and movie industries plans to implement a “three strikes and you’re out” rule to internet users found downloading copyrighted material with the help of internet service providers. While Eircom capitulated to the demand, promising to shut off users, it seems to be the only ISP in the world which has rolled over so easily.
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Last week’s announcement that Eircom has conceded to a plan to stop illegal downloading in the face of court proceedings will come as no surprise to those who are familiar with the music industry’s attempts to save profits from music piracy. Under the plan, Ireland’s largest ISP (Internet Service Provider), Eircom agrees to work with the four major labels in Ireland (SonyBMG, Universal, Warners and EMI) in implementing a “three strikes and you’re out” rule. This means that Eircom customers will be disconnected if the record companies claim a user has repeatedly downloaded music illegally using P2P (peer to peer) networks through Eircom’s service. Eircom’s case wasn’t helped by the fact that the company’s ads appeared on The Pirate Bay, a popular torrent site which is being targeted in Sweden for large scale illegal music and movie piracy.
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