Controversial Russian music download store Allofmp3.com has been shut down on government orders.
Controversial Russian music download store Allofmp3.com has been shut down on government orders.
The Kremlin has decided that the site should be closed ahead of talks between US President George W Bush and Russian Premier Vladimir Putin.
According to a report in The Times people attempting to access the site last week were greeted with a message saying that it was offline for maintenance.
The timing of the closure seems certain to be a gesture from Russia to the US to ease Russia's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO). A US Trade Representative said last year that the closure of Allofmp3.com was a non-negotiable condition of Russia's entry.
However, in place of Allofmp3.com another site has sprung up. Mp3Sparks.com is run by MediaServices, the same firm that ran Allofmp3.com. It looks very similar and offers tracks at around the same prices.
Analyst Mark Mulligan of Jupiter Research said: "The fact that closing down Allofmp3.com simply resulted in the opening of a copycat site by the same company shows that this requires some more fundamental action by the Russian authorities.
"However, it could also be interpreted as cosmetic action by a government that is intent on satisfying WTO accession requirements but less keen on changing Russian new media copyright practices," Mulligan said.
Allofmp3.com has courted controversy since its launch for alleged copyright infringements and undercutting other online music stores.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), a body that promotes the rights of musicians and copyright holders, welcomed the news of Allofmp3.com's closure.
"The reported closure of Allofmp3.com is welcome news, and another important step for the recording industry as we seek to direct consumers away from illegal online services towards the many legal alternatives," the BPI's chief executive Geoff Taylor said.
But Taylor warned against other illegal sites.
"We appeal to UK music fans to stay away from these illegal Russian sites, which are unlicensed parasites that make no investment in music and do not pay royalties to the artists concerned. True music fans should not support them," he said.
UPDATE 05/07/2007 1630: www.mp3sparks.com now appears to be offline, though whether this is just a temporary glitch or a permanent closure isn't clear yet.
www.jupiterresearch.com
|  |
Comments
Latest comments
No comments posted. Be the first by posting yours below...