Prolific online pirates had been warned that their activity was ‘illegal and harmful’ via the group’s automated messaging system. ‘We have resisted legal action… [and] done everything we can to raise awareness,’ asserted BPI chairman Peter Jamieson (The Guardian, 8 October).
But the danger is that the accused may be hardcore music lovers with legally purchased goods or, worse, tech-savvy children with a penchant for tunes on the net.
BPI executives are taking a calculated risk, with action based on anonymous IP addresses rather than names and run the risk of falling foul of ‘political correctness’ (The Times, 8 October) if minors emerge as the culprits.
BPI claimed ‘we’re not in it to win a popularity contest’ (Silicon.com, 7 October), but with critics likening its tactics to ‘posturing and spitting like… schoolyard bullies’ (Guardian, 8 October), perhaps it should accept that ‘the rules have changed, guys’ (Times, 8 October).
Analysis conducted by Echo Research from data supplied to PRWeek from NewsNow. www.echoresearch.com www.newsnow.co.uk
