Tag: p2p

QTRAX launches, claiming legal access to 30 million tracks. Server overwhelmed

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QTRAX, which originally launched back in 2002 but closed down due to avoid the risk of legal action, has relaunched today.

It claims that users will be able to find and download between 25 and 30 million copyrighted music tracks, with the blessing of a large proportion of the music industry.

“QTRAX is a magical and game-changing service that revolutionizes the way fans consume digital music,” said QTRAX President and CEO Allan Klepfisz.

Well, possibly not revolutionary. We’ve seen a shift towards “free” ad-supported music streaming and download services recently.

Andy Merrett Digital Music

P2P site, OiNK, shut down by pigs, sorry, police

oink-pig.jpgOink! Oink! One of the largest sources of illegally-downloaded music, OiNK, has been closed down by the pigs, sorry, British and Dutch police. Oink! Ok, I’ll stop now…

Interpol shut it down in the early hours of this morning, after a chap in Middlesbrough was arrested today on counts of conspiracy to defraud and infringement of copywright law, after leaking 60 massive pre-release albums this year to the members-only site. Due to the popularity of the P2P site, us casual…

Katherine Hannaford Digital Music

How P2P influenced Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger's release schedule

nicole-scherzinger-p2p.jpgIf you’re a music industry bigwig, chances are you think P2P file-sharing is The Devil’s Work. Well, at least, that’s what you’ve got to say in public, even if you do go home and spend the night trousering as much free music as you can. Anyway, the point is, major labels don’t like P2P.

However, following the leak of a bundle of emails from anti-piracy company MediaDefender, it seems some labels are using P2P as a guide to which songs they should release. Specifically, Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger’s label Interscope asked MediaDefender to monitor how popular one of her album tracks was on file-sharing services.

Stuart Dredge Digital Music

The latest wheeze to punish P2P downloaders: bill them!

pirate-dog.jpgUS firm Nexicon says it’s signed up “a motion picture studio” for its GETAMNESTY program, which aims to charge P2P downloaders for the files (films, in this case) that they’ve illegally downloaded.

Nexicon hasn’t named the studio, so it’s unclear whether it’s one of the big guys or not. I’m a bit unclear on how GETAMNESTY works, other than the original press release’s promise that it “enables copyright owners to identify violators with precision, document specific copyright infringements perpetrated by the same infringer, and obtain compensation efficiently and cost effectively”.

Stuart Dredge Internet