American Green Inc (ERBB)

[docgfd]

Herald Sun article.............................

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,15764288%255E2902,00.html


ENTERTAINMENT

back
PRINT-FRIENDLY VERSION
EMAIL THIS
STORY


Stars collide over music piracy ban
Liam Houlihan, youth reporter
29jun05

A COURT clamp on music piracy has Australian music companies and stars
from Madonna to Eminem singing hallelujah.

The US Supreme Court
ruling has given heart to
the six Australian record
companies locked in a
similar court battle
against piracy here.

Both cases focus on
software makers that
enable illegal
peer-to-peer sharing of
music files.

In six months, 3.4 million
Australians illegally
downloaded and shared
music files and 3.6 million
illegally burnt music on to CDs, according to Quantum Market Research.
Most offenders were under 25.

Music companies say illegal downloading is robbing artists and starving the
music industry. But artists are split.

Pop stars Madonna, Elton John, Eminem, Metallica and Jay-Z oppose illegal
file sharing.

"This is a great victory for artists, songwriters and all those who make their
living through the creative process," rapper Jay-Z said.

But other musicians say software bans are draconian and will hurt those
looking for an audience on the internet.

Local acts such as Frenzal Rhomb put their music on their own internet sites
and on international sites to get it heard.

US group Wilco is also happy to give away music.

"Any decision that outlaws or discourages developing technology that
expands Wilco's reach is shortsighted," singer Jeff Tweedy said.

"It is sad . . . the Supreme Court can hold hands and agree unanimously on a
decision so squarely on the side of big business and so damaging to the side
of culture."

Software companies argue that they should not be liable just because some
use their product for an illegal purpose.

Australian peer-to-peer company Sharman Networks -- at the heart of the
Federal Court case -- claims the principle has been dealt with in the 1980s in
cases involving double-sided tape decks and video recorders.

The Federal Court case is part of an aggressive pursuit of music pirates in the
past two years.