ISP raided over file swapping

PERTH -- The Age reports that investigators from the Australian record industry have used rsearch warrants known as Anton Piller orders to raid an ISP suspected of providing hi-speed access, via BiTorrent, to hundreds of thousands of pirated songs and videos.

"The raid, on Thursday, is believed to be the first on an Australian internet company involving popular BitTorrent file sharing software.

The investigators raided the headquarters of Swiftel Communications in Perth, Music Industry Piracy Investigations said. MIPI is part of the Australian Record Industry Association."

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/03/10/1110417613009.html

BiTorrent is a legitimate application used by some to exchange components of video and music between authors. It is also being used by advocates of free, or Creative Commons licensed video and music to enable the broad distribution of these products directly between creater and the public.

The record industry, as pointed out in this article, may protect the interests of Kylie Minogue and Britney Spears, but who protects the unsigned artist whose music is played in an APRA licensed hair-dressing salon, from which they will receive no royalties from?

Source: The Age