Breakdown of legal cases against illegal file-sharing

Austria: IFPI Austria has filed an additional 45 criminal cases against people found to have been offering large numbers of music files on peer-to-peer file sharing services without authorisation, bringing the total to 320 cases launched since October 2004. To date, 258 individuals have settled their claims with IFPI Austria, at an average of Euro 3,500 each - one as high as Euro 5,500.

Denmark: IFPI Denmark has sent civil demand letters to 230 more alleged illegal music file-sharers, bringing the total number of such legal claims launched in Denmark to 973. So far, 249 individuals in Denmark (over one-third of those targeted in previous waves) have already either paid or agreed to pay compensation averaging a few thousand Euros each - one as high as Euro 13,000. Also, on 10 February 2006, the Danish Supreme Court confirmed that internet users that make available unauthorised copies of music files from their computers can have their internet access accounts terminated.

Finland: The Finnish anti-piracy organisation CIAPC and IFPI Finland have filed a further 15 criminal complaints against alleged uploaders of music on peer-to-peer services, bringing the total number of complaints laid to 73. Civil claims for compensation are added to the criminal claims in each case and to date 18 of the cases from previous waves have lead to settlements, averaging over Euro 2,700 per user.

France: To date France has brought a total of 151 criminal complaints and civil cases against major uploaders of music in France. French anti-piracy organisation SCPP is pursuing criminal proceedings that allow fines and other sanctions, and in the civil cases has requested termination of the internet account of infringers. Over 100 individuals have had their internet accounts terminated by court order. French courts have confirmed that file-sharing is illegal, with the first decision on the issue coming in February 2005. Uploaders have been users being fined and one user received a two month suspended prison sentence.

Germany: IFPI Germany has filed a further 1233 criminal complaints against individuals alleged to be engaged in illegal file-sharing of music. This brings the number of such cases that have been passed to the authorities to 3288. To date, 542 people have made financial settlements with the industry, averaging Euro 2,670 each.

Iceland: IFPI Iceland and the local film industry have filed criminal complaints against a further 13 alleged large-scale uploaders, bringing to 33 the total number of cases brought against DirectConnect and BitTorrent users in the year since the campaign started.

Ireland: The Irish recording industry association IRMA has now taken civil action against a total of 67 large-scale uploaders in the year since their campaign started. The Irish courts have ruled in all cases brought before it that individual uploaders' details should be disclosed. Twenty eight of the 67 users have settled their cases agreeing to pay, on average, Euro 2,500 each.

Italy: FIMI, the Italian recording industry association, has assisted the Italian police in taking action against a further 53 individuals on suspicion of copyright infringement for the large-scale file sharing of music. To date 179 cases have been brought by the police against individuals, and those found guilty expect to be subject to fines up to Euro 25,000 with additional civil compensation possible. In December 2005, in the first decision of its kind, the Italian confirmed the criminal liability of an individual uploader.

Sweden: IFPI Sweden has filed a further 15 criminal complaints concerning the activities of individuals believed to be major music uploaders in Sweden. These complaints follow 15 similar complaints brought in November 2005 bringing the total number of cases now with the police to 30.

Switzerland: Following its announcement in November 2005 that it had started gathering evidence against Swiss peer-to-peer uploaders, IFPI Switzerland has now filed 70 criminal complaints with the police.

United Kingdom: The UK record industry has now taken a total of 153 cases against individuals. In the two cases that have gone to court so far, the judge found the uploaders liable for copyright infringement without even needing a full hearing. Both men faced court injunctions from doing it again, with one of them required to pay GBP 5,500 as a 'down-payment' on further costs and damages, totalling over GBP 13,500. The other was required to pay GBP 1,500 pending final determination of costs and damages. Of the other uploaders being pursued, 102 have settled their cases out of court paying on average more than GBP 2,250 (Euro 3,200) each.

Hong Kong: IFPI Hong Kong began actions in November 2005 against 22 major uploaders on peer-to-peer networks, it will now commence action against another 50 uploaders, bringing the total number of cases in Hong Kong to 72. In the first wave of actions, the Hong Kong court ordered the disclosure of the users' details. IFPI Hong Kong will now take those cases against uploaders to the court where they are likely to face injunctions and be required to pay damages and legal costs to the industry; thirteen individuals have already settled out of court.

Japan: RIAJ, the Japanese recording industry association, has now taken a total of 84 civil actions seeking the disclosure of information regarding major music uploaders. To date, 7 users have settled with the record industry out of court, paying an average of over Euro 3,200 each.

Singapore: Recording Industry Association (Singapore) has filed 33 criminal complaints against individuals alleged to be involved in the illegal file-sharing of music. These cases are the first involving users of FastTrack and Gnutella networks in Singapore and with the cases announced today in Hong Kong, mark the expansion of the campaign into South East Asia for the first time.

Argentina: In January the Argentinean recording industry association, CAPIF, started civil actions against 20 people found to have been offering large numbers of music files on P2P services without authorisation. The Argentinean courts, hearing the first cases of their kind in Latin America, have ordered the uploaders' details to be disclosed to the industry, which is now pursuing the cases through the court system.

Portugal: Bringing cases for the first time, AFP, the Portuguese recording industry association, is today filing 28 criminal cases with the police. All cases relate to large-scale unauthorised music file-sharing over P2P networks, targeting in particular users on the FastTrack, Gnutella and eDonkey networks.

United States: Since November 2005, RIAA - the US recording industry association - has brought civil copyright infringement lawsuits against a further 3,005 alleged illegal file sharers, bringing the total of all cases brought to 18,602. There have been 4,263 settlements to date, typically in the range of USD 4000 to 5000 each.

For further information please contact
Adrian Strain or Alex Jacob at IFPI Communications on tel: +44 (0)20 7878 7935