Russian music site could relaunch

But music industry warns it is still infringing copyright

Andrea-Marie Vassou, Computeract!ve 30 Aug 2007

Russian music download site Allofmp3, which fought off moves by the music industry to close it down permanently, may relaunch within the next few weeks.

The site was shut down in July after a legal challenge was launched by record labels, EMI, Warner Music Group and Universal. They argued that the downloads offered by the website were illegal because no royalties were being paid to copyright holders or artists.

However, two weeks ago, a Moscow judge ruled that the site operated within the bounds of Russian law.

A statement on the site now states: “The service will be resumed in the foreseeable future. We are doing our best at the moment to ensure that all our users can use their accounts, top up balance and order music.”

This has angered two of the bodies that represent the music industry, the IFPI and the British arm, the BPI, which have warned UK consumers not to reopen their accounts with Allofmp3.

Although neither organisation would be drawn on what action they would take against people who did, Tim Smith a legal expert for the IFPI, told Computeractive: “It would continue to be illegal for people in the UK to download from Allofmp3 as the service is unlicensed.

"Even if one took the licence that Allofmp3 sought to rely on previously as legitimate, which it is clearly not, it would still have no effect outside Russia.”

A representative for the BPI, which has taken legal action against people in the UK that it alleges were guilty of illegal file sharing, backed this statement. The IFIP said it will continue to push for the permanent closure of the site.

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