IFPI Welcomes Closure Of Demonoid

New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ IFPI) IFPI, which represents the recording industry worldwide, today welcomes the closure of the Demonoid bitTorrent service, which was a significant channel for the distribution of infringing content worldwide.

IFPI made a number of complaints about the unlicensed service, which repeatedly infringed the rights of its member record companies. In response, INTERPOL coordinated international efforts that saw the site closed down and its servers seized by police in Ukraine and a criminal investigation launched into its owners in Mexico resulting in a number of arrests and seizure of assets. IFPI assisted INTERPOL, the Division of Economic Crimes (DEC) in the Ukrainian police and the investigative arm of the Attorney General of Mexico (PGR).

"International police cooperation is the key to ensuring that the illegal activities of transnational organised criminals are stopped at every opportunity," said John Newton head of INTERPOL's Trafficking in Illicit Goods Sub-Directorate. " In this instance police forces on different sides of the world worked together with INTERPOL and the music industry to successfully disrupt the distribution chain for illicit digital music products."

Jeremy Banks, director, anti-piracy, IFPI, says: "Demonoid was a leading global player in digital music piracy which acted as unfair competition to the more than 500 licensed digital music services that offer great value music to consumers while respecting the rights of artists, songwriters and record companies. The operation to close Demonoid was a great example of international cooperation to tackle a service that was facilitating the illegal distribution of music on a vast scale. I would like to thank all those officers involved in this operation to close a business that was built on the abuse of other people's rights."