London - February 12, 2001
Jay Berman, Chairman and CEO of IFPI, said:
"This decision is a victory for all those who want to develop a legitimate on-line music
business. The court has confirmed that technology has to respect copyright law--
regardless of the technology. This is good news for artists and record companies who
have been dogged for months by legal uncertainty. And as new services are made
available it will be good news for consumers, who will be able to enjoy the music they
love in a greater variety of legitimate ways - because the people who created it will be
paid for it.
"This ruling sends out the right signal to places elsewhere in the world that are grappling
with the great challenges of adapting copyright law to the exciting environment of the
internet. There is a crucial vote by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on
Wednesday. We trust the Parliament will take note of today's recognition that if
electronic commerce is going to thrive in the 21st century, protecting the creative
industries has to be an integral part of the process."
IFPI is the organization representing the international recording industry. Its
members comprise more than 1400 record producers and distributors in over 70
countries.
For further information contact: Adrian Strain, IFPI tel: +44 207 878 7900/7939