June 08, 2007

By By Nick Kelly, Dublin

The Irish Recorded Music Association on Thursday won a landmark ruling in the High Court in Dublin forcing six Internet service providers (ISPs) to reveal the names and addresses of individuals engaged in alleged illegal file-sharing.

The ruling is the culmination of a six-month operation undertaken by the industry body to stem the tide of Internet piracy in Ireland. IRMA says that it has targeted 23 individuals involved in the alleged illegal distribution of copyrighted music files. It maintains that five individuals are alone responsible for 108,000 shared illegal files, with one individual responsible for 37,500 files.

The judge ordered the six ISPs -- Digiweb, Smart Telecom, Irish Broadband, NTL, Eircom and Imagine -- to provide IRMA with the names and addresses of all twenty-three people involved.

To date the body has prosecuted some 66 individuals, 61 of which have paid financial penalties.

Dick Doyle, director general of IRMA, said the individuals involved are stealing from the artists and affecting the livelihood of many people in the music industry. He added that the association would do everything in its power to ensure they are brought to justice.

Thursday's ruling comes a week after trade body the British Phonographic Industry, with the help of IRMA, successfully prosecuted operators of Internet retailer CD Wow for illegally importing CDs and music DVDs from outside the EEA and selling them to U.K. and Ireland residents.

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