International Recording industry welcomes closure of Weblisten

LONDON, UK (IFPI) - The international recording industry has welcomed the shutdown of Weblisten, a Spain-based website which had offered many thousands of international and local songs for download and streaming through its website.
The move follows Weblisten's admission of criminal copyright infringement in a Spanish court hearing on May 31.

Weblisten had been making copyrighted music files available online since 1997, despite successive legal actions against it over six years. Civil and criminal copyright infringement proceedings were taken against it by AGEDI, the Spanish producers' collecting society, on behalf of the country's music industry, as well as by seven independent and major record companies.

Until now, Weblisten maintained that it was operating legally, even though it had secured licences only from music publishers and not the affected record labels.

As part of the final order to be issued in the case, Weblisten will be required to destroy its databases of unauthorised music, pay a fine and refrain from engaging in any similar such activities in the future.

Antonio Guisasola, President of AGEDI said: "We have finally achieved justice and put an end to this website's activities. The company has earned a lot of money illegally by exploiting artists' recordings and has given nothing back to the creators and producers of that music."

Allen Dixon, IFPI Executive Director and General Counsel said: "Despite the long delay in the Spanish court system, this result makes it clear that you cannot offer music online without permission from all of the people that created the music."

He added: "Everyone who is trying to build legitimate online music services the right way, by respecting the copyright holders and creators of the music, will welcome the closure of this website."

Spain has a growing market for online music, with at least ten legitimate online music services operating in the country including iTunes, MSN Music Club, Tiscali, Vitimanic Music Club and Wanadoo.
For further information please contact: Adrian Strain or Fiona Harley at IFPI Communications on tel: +44 (0)20 7878 7900