Rights campaigners have accused the record industry of whingeing after it published a report calling for stricter online controls to counter piracy despite download revenue increasing.

The BPI’s Digital Music Nation 2010 report highlighted high revenue growth in the online music market, but bemoaned the fact that piracy was still rife in the UK.

According to the BPI research, UK residents have downloaded 1.2 billion tracks illegally this year, and paid to download only 370 million tracks.

Despite the lost sales, online music surged to make up a quarter of music industry sales, pointing to a recovering industry.

"The BPI is whingeing that growth in their profits in the middle of a recession isn't good enough,“ said Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group.

"They argue for measures that would curtail innocent people's human rights in order to increase their profits. That is immoral."

Sales of digital singles soared to 160 million this year compared with 149.7 million last year.

Research cited in the report claimed that 7.7 million Britons obtain music unlawfully, and the BPI used these figures to call for Government action.

“This confirms the need for the urgent implementation of the Digital Economy Act, alongside industry initiatives to educate,” the BPI said in a statement, referring to proposals that would provide ammunition to take action against persistent copyright infringers.

However, Killock cautioned against reading too much into the research, claiming the statistics should be treated with a “pinch of salt”.

“The danger is that the Government will take these figures seriously and use them as a reason to implement law, rather than undertake its own research,” he said.

“The Government has never commissioned independent research and relies on those from other countries or the music industry, which obviously has a vested interest.”

The BPI’s report drew on a survey of 5,393 people from Harris Interactive and UKOM/Nielsen and, which monitors the web habits of 35,000 UK surfers.


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I think the download figures might be orders of magnitude inaccurate. I think that most youngsters are using Spotify now, so no need to illegally download.

I rather suspect that the modern version of "home taping" is about as prevalent as it was 30 years ago, and having just the same effect on music purchases. That's to say, it's having very little effect. If people don't want to buy something, they won't buy it. I have loads of stuff on tape I copied as a kid, but I'd have done without it rather than pay for it.

I'm well-off enough now that I can afford to buy maybe one or two CDs a year, and I do so. I support my favourite acts. Seriously though, at over £20 for some albums I'd rather just wait until stuff comes on the wireless. There's always something on the radiogram, and I can copy it onto my 8-track to listen to in the car.

There's definitely evidence to suggest they've taken to it:

http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11819

Check out that load of drivel

As usual they are assuming a 1:1 relationship between downloading and buying which is to anyone else other than the music industry plainly stupid

I have a disposable income of £x I can spend on Music, films, concerts and books. When I have spent it I dont buy anything else until the following month. However if its free - say a BBC comedy event then I go.

Now using the BPI "Logic"

I spend my normal £x
But to see the "Now Show (BBC R4) I would (if not free) have to pay to see all of the comedians sperately at say £30 / ticket. Asuming 4 main guests / presenters then that is a "BPI loss" of £120.

Also even before downloading and taping was the ratio of listening to buying 1:1. I suspect that even then it will be 1:10 purchased:listened. Even now the ratio is never going to be 1:1. Imagine if any other industry had a 1:1 view to purchase rate.

I borrowed my mates car - does that mean that Ford have lost a sale but if i borrowed a mates CD then they would claim they ahve lost a sale . So will Ford come knocking on my door demanding £20K

Exactly I was thinking of car show rooms when I made the comment. Tell kids that they owe Ferrari £110 000 for the posters on their walls, for depriving Ferrari of any sales.