ILLEGAL file-sharers are facing more legal action after the record industry threatened new measures despite soaring music download sales.
Global sales of legal downloads passed $1 billion (£570 million) in 2005 and music downloaded on to mobile phones is now worth £225 million a year.
John Kennedy, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries, said: “The argument for increasing the scale of court cases has strengthened because people still don’t believe they will be caught.” Although the industry has brought 20,000 cases in 17 countries, file-sharing has remained constant for two years.
Mr Kennedy said he had had “zero response” from internet service providers that host illegal sites after urging them to close file-sharing networks. Critics say that illegal file-sharing has peaked and that the industry should focus on providing legal alternatives of good value.