IFPI 'First Wave' Sues 247 In Europe & Canada

securitas writes "AP and many others report that the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry - IFPI - has sued 247 accused file-sharers in Germany, Denmark, Italy and Canada as part of an unprecedented, coordinated attack. The IFPI represents the global recording industry through its members - national associations like the IFPIG, DRIA, FIMI, CRIA and RIAA - and says it will launch more international lawsuits in the months ahead. You may also want to read the official IFPI 'first wave' press release/related documents and a statement by the IFPI's chairman and CEO. Lots of coverage at AP/AJC, USA Today, the New York Times, Reuters/CNN Money, ZDNet/CNet, Bloomberg , netimperative and the BBC. The timing of the international legal attacks is especially interesting in light of the recent study that indicates file-sharing has a negligible impact on music sales."

Comments

Re:Someone clue me in here...

[Zweistein_42]

You can legally _download_ music in Canada - it is covered by the levies we pay on the media (yay!:). You cannot legally _upload_ (i.e. share) music, as that makes you a "distributor" (and thus not covered under any form of personal use). It's the same reason why it is legal (in Canada) for me to borrow your CD and make a copy of it... but NOT for you to copy your CD and give me the copy. Same end result of course, but in first case, I'm copying for my personal use - in the second case, you are distributing something you don't have a right to distribute. IANAL, but I've followed Canadian copyright law for a while - the particular statute is reasonably clear once you understand the distinction between personal use (copying for myself) and distributing (copying or making available to others)