The Russian owners of Allofmp3.com deny that a man arrested in London for alleged copyright violations was the European agent for the controversial music downloads site.
In a statement, they say that the unnamed Londoner ‘was hastily declared an employee of the European office of Allofmp3’ and denied that their business operates outside its home country.
‘The Allofmp3 administration reiterates that the store has never had any activities outside Russia,’ the statement says. ‘Thus we do not have any offices or employees abroad.’
They appear to accept that the man was selling vouchers for downloads from the site, as the music industry bodies that led the investigations claimed. But, they said, that did not make him an employee of Allofmp3.
‘The IFPI/BPI turned a person reselling gift certificates into a “European office of Allofmp3” in London,’ they said. ‘After that they initiated the loud “closure” of this “office” and an arrest of its mythical “employee”.’
They reiterated that as far as they are concerned Allofmp3 operates in full compliance with Russian legislation and pays the necessary royalties to the rightsholders. Both national and global music industry organisations deny this is the case. Allofmp3 says that the industry is simply trying to maintain their ‘super profits’ by any means.
‘The members of the IFPI are unable to do anything about the natural crisis the music industry faces in the digital era,’ the statement says. ‘Instead they engage in unfair competition practices and political lobbying. They make up “sensational” news to attract public attention to their activity which becomes less and less valid every day.’
The arrested Londoner, they claim, ‘is a victim of music majors fighting the irreversible technological progress’.
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