Music industry attacks pirates

The Australian music industry has contracted by 30% in the last nine years with $200 million lost due to piracy, the annual report of the industry’s trade body reveals.

The latest IFPI report shows sales have fallen about 10% during 2009, with the figure including both physical CD and digital sales.

In the local market, the report stated digital sales actually managed to offset the fall in physical CD sales. Digital track sales of single songs increased by 38% to 17 million downloads, with digital album sales growing 64% to one million downloads.

However, the 30% industry decline since 2001 has led some to call for hasher crackdowns on piracy.

One of the major turning points in this debate will be the outcome of the case between iiNet and the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft. The AFACT is attempting to prove iiNet has a responsibility to cut off users who repeatedly download copyrighted files.

The Federal Government has said it will await the outcome of the case, expected sometime this year, before making a decision on whether to draft harsher penalties for pirates.