Global sales of recorded music plummeted 10.9% and by 10.7% in units in the first half of 2003, says the the Big Five's IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry).

"Unauthorised file-sharing and commercial piracy were major factors in the decline," it says in a statement. "At the same time DVD music sales grew sharply and a there was a marked increase in the availability of legitimate online music, with 300,000 tracks now on offer online."

No figures are given for sales based on 'legitimate online music'.

"Interim sales of all audio and music video formats were worth $US 12.7 billion, compared to $US 14.2 billion in the same period of 2002. Within this figure DVD music video showed substantial growth in both units (up 46%) and value (up 55%), and now represents more than 5% of global music sales."

However, says the IFPI, Germany, Japan, France and the US suffered "significant declines". Germany, Japan, the US and Canada saw unauthorised downloads of tracks and copied CDs reach, and in some cases exceed, the levels of 'legitimate' track and CD album sales.

In Europe, Austria and Finland showed sales increases, driven by successes with local repertoire, the report goes on. Sales in volume terms increased in Norway, while in the UK album sales rose by 4% and singles in Spain enjoyed a great success.

The Russian market rose in value thanks to continued transition from cassette to CD, while Australia recovered thanks to very strong DVD video sales.

In Asia, Hong Kong also experienced recovery, aided by a surge in sales of compilation albums. There were also some positive signs in terms of genre sales. In the US, Latin Music sales underwent a revival in 2003, up 29%, and jazz sales increased 35%.

"Despite some healthy signs that a legitimate online music business is now taking hold, the music industry continues to suffer from the unauthorised file-sharing and commercial piracy," says IFPI chief Jay Berman, former boss of the RIAA.

The IFPI has clones and 'affiliates' in more than 46 countries, including Australia.

I believe Jay Berman is a fat faced pie goo-head, and hs figures are inaccurate. They are lying, which, for them, is status quo.
BOYCOTT THEM TO THE POORHOUSE!
-bulkeraser

watch out kids in europe....the riaa is after your lunch money too

good grief.... i'll check back to the board in an hour or so....hopefully these posting demons will have been exorcised

"If the recording industry can uncover your identity simply by claiming that a copyright violation has occurred, then the Chinese government can use the same tool to find out the name of a dissident, and a batterer can use it to find out the address of a domestic violence shelter," says ACLU staff attorney Christopher Hansen.

Cary-Sue was said to respond by saying, "Oh come on, what's a few dead malcontents and beaten women compared to profits??"

May not be a fair comment, but since when have those thugs been fair?

So which RIAA like company is Tom Ewing being a stand up puppet for?

This news item and the other about narrowband still rules are industry related figures on who connects to the internet, how they connect, and a change in those trends.

"Popular sites among British children are search engine Google.com and research site About.com, Netratings said."

Not Kazza, morpheus, limewire, and grokster are popular sites among British children. Yes, I know these are not sites, but since every other media outlet and RIAA schill/pimp treat them as such there is no reason to think the lie will correct itself.

Is this what we are doomed to see for the next 2-4 years? Anytime an article contains the word internet some lackey will say "This has the potential for a huge amount of file sharing" ?

Go Away RIAA

You bend me over

I refuse to buy your products

Where is the mystery?

I am a poet and I have some Copywrited poems out there on the web. Does this mean that I can go out and find any information about anyone just because i suspect them of using my poetry without my permision?

13 million european kids online

New Napster, as a commercial service, is unlikely to succeed any better than pressplay. While the Napster brand may serve to attract potential customers, they will quickly realise Napster is no longer a free service and download kazaa instead.

I never watch the self-administerecd congratulatory fellatio session that is the Oscars, and this year will be no exception.

The collective IQ of the Hollywood pool of so-called talent may be 60, may not be. My father told me that the simpleton could do anything if taught by rote, and Hollywood bears his theories out. Hollywood also proves, quite nicely, that money and intelligence need not be connected.

this board still isnt right

A deeply shallow oxymoron?

lost in the internet again

svengali...the same thing happened to me and i thought i was crazy..
well, I AM crazy, but crazy AND slipping

Well I would hold this person to no tougher standards than anyone else...

"Unauthorised file-sharing and commercial piracy were major factors in the decline," it says in a statement. "At the same time DVD music sales grew sharply and a there was a marked increase in the availability of legitimate online music, with 300,000 tracks now on offer online."

Please clarify and explain that statement. Please include proof to support your claims. Otherwise how can I posibly take it as anything more than a rant.

In fact the data provided in not complete enough to draw any conclusions except that sales are down and a few correlations exist that indicate the posibility of a negative relationship between cd sales and online music and dvds. It is hard to claim any correlation between cd sales and copyright infrignement because no data for the latter was provided. As far as piracy is concerned. Perhaps the oceans has been a crule hag to the crews this past year. They were probably not able to plunder enough to purchase cds. However, I do not see any data on the buying habbits of pirates so this is hard to tell.

I know this may seem to be an overly simplecomparison, but if you are accused of a crime and the crime is misstated - speeding north on 101 when you were actually speeding south on 101. Your case is dismissed. So, if you are accused of "downloading from Napster, Kaazaa, etc." or whoever but are actually downloading from another person, doesn't that make you not guilty of the charges?

we are playing musical forums....guess where your post will end up

Too bad for all those people who were bullied into admitting guilt and settling out of court. Had they gone to court and lost the repeal of the clauses enable the subpeona process would change the verdict and the case would need to be thrown out. The RIAA would then be responsible for legal fees because they would not have the right to do what they did. But those 800 idiots that volunteerd their admissions and the many people out of the 261 that have settled are screwed. I say we start a class action suit and sue the pants off those ass holes for things from expenses right through emotional distress.

I have some copywritten poems out there. Does this mean I can go out there and find information on anyone I suspect of using my poetry without my permision? I'd be glad if they did because I put it out there for people to use. I'm just wondering if I now have a license to spy on people.

Are indie labels really turning a bigger profit thumb? I would love to hear that. In fact, I bet the media would like that too.

I finally switched to broadband recently... and it's like a breath of fresh air.
You're right though - it's expensive as all hell.

It's too bad the RIAA doesn't control dialup, because then they could sue all the broadband companies for having a better distribution system! *sarcasm intended*

I wonder if the 10% decline in sales is partially due to the fact that the RIAA IS BEING BOYCOTTED?

What is really funny is that the RIAA states the decline in sales is "Unauthorised file-sharing and commercial piracy were major factors in the decline," yet DVD sales have increased! Maybe people have realized that their Music CD's are way overpriced and are spending their money on DVD's instead. That alone could account for the entire decline in sales.

10%, that's it? I want to see 100%!

I agree with Ineed.. Howzabout one, riaa products are largely crack music garbage, and two, boycott 'em anyway!

BOYCOTT. EDUCATE. REGISTER. VOTE.
ARE YOU REGISTERED AND READY?

Jazz, while you are voting, if you encounter any of these names, where you are, vote against them :
Mark Pryor,Schumer(Charles),Susan Collins,
Carl Levin, Orrin Hatch,Howard Berman, John Conyers, Barbara Boxer, and others I am sure that others can name.

your sales will continue to decline as more people learn the truth, you can not escape the boycott riaa, its over for you.

As everyone knows, all "studies" and "statistics" put out by the RIAA and groups of its ilk (such as IFPI) are biased, one-sided and rigged. Not to mention anecdotal. We must all remember this whenever they throw such figures in our face. Especially given this souring on the music business among an increasing number of fans -- all thanks to the burning-of-Atlanta - style tactics "Generalissimo" Cary (c)H(utzpah) Sherman and company.

wasn't it also said that during the summer the downloading of tracks had also decreased some 20%??? What do those numbers indicate? That the people are realizing how much crap the music indusrty is becoming. Anybody who thinks that only the compact disc sales are going down, should take a long look at what is happening for downloading as well

Microsoft really scares me...I found out the cable/isp I work for is working with microsoft to develop onscreen interactive menues etc for digital cable. Makes me feel kinda dirty! I'm convinced that Microsoft will one day rule the universe (kind of like the "empire") Cue Darth Vader music!

cray-sherman seems to like to modify phrases to his own likeing

It's funny (funny hmm, not funny ha ha) that the RIAA never mentions the word boycott when they talk of slipping sales. They won't accept the fact that they're losers.

Has anybody found anything indicating the real effects of the boycott. All I have read is overall percentages for the year? I haven't been able to find anything that says how sales have been since they started on their "sue-party"..or people have shied away from Kazaa and other p2p programs. Seems like things are awful quiet concerning that. Seems like the news is kind of one-sided, like they are being forced not to mention anything detremental to the RIAA....

we need a head count, some kind of place to stand up and be counted. Just to see how strong we really are. That would be interesting, especially with all the new names appearing here on a daily basis

stop the presses!!! music sales are down? whouda thunk it, duh!

ILUVPEES...re: head count

Say...if the EFF can do that petition thing, can't they do like a poll on who all is boycotting the purchase of CDs? Kind of keep track that way. A "sign this if you're boycotting" kinda deal. Just a thought...