Music
03 Sep 09

Pirate Buster for Music Show

He was the man whose evidence put a huge hole in the stern of Pirate Bay, in a landmark judgement in Sweden earlier this year. Now the CEO and Chairman of the International Federation of Phonographic Industries, John Kennedy, is set to speak at The Music Show, which takes place on October 3 and 4, at the RDS in Dublin. He will speak on the issue of illegal downloading and the threat it represents to the Music Industry, which is currently undergoing massive changes as a result of the impact of the internet. The Music Show is run by Hot Press magazine.

"It is the major issue of the moment in music internationally,"? says Niall Stokes, editor of Hot Press. "Feelings are running high on both sides of the debate, but there is a lack of clear thinking and a real lack of awareness on the part of a lot of artists about what is at stake. That's something that we want to address at the Music Show because it is vital that people should base their response to the use of the internet as a means to distribute music in a way that is not prejudicial to the ability of artists to ean a living, or be paid what is due to them, in the long run."

John Kennedy was one of the co-producers of Live Aid. An OBE, he has worked in the music industry for over 30 years. He began his career in the legal department of Phonogram Records, before setting up an independent legal practice in 1984. As a lawyer, he represented many high profile artists, managers and record companies before moving taking up a record company position, becoming Chairman and CEO of the then newly created Universal Music UK in 1999. He was appointed President and COO of Universal Music International in 2001, a position he held until 2004, when he joined the IFPI.

Kennedy gave evidence on behalf of the IFPI in the Pirate Bay trial in Stockholm in February of this year, which saw the operators of the website, which facilitates illegal downloading, being found guilty of breaking copyright law, ordered to pay $4.5 million in damages and sentended to one year in jail. The founders of Pirate Bay have appealed the judgement.

The IFPI represents the recording industry worldwide with over 1,450 members in 75 countries and affiliated industry associations in 48 countries.

*Among the other international industry figures converging on Dublin for the event are Mean Fiddler founder Vince Power, who now runs the Vince Power Music Group, who handle the Benicassim Festival as well as running a huge number of venues in the UK; Steve Strange of X-Ray Touring, who are agents for Eminem, coldplay, Robbie Williams, Green Day, The Pixies and many more; and Nicky Ryan, who has achieved extraordinary success guiding the career of Enya as manager and producer. Enya has sold in excess of 80 million albums worldwide.

The Music Show, presented by Hot Press in association with RT? 2FM, The Irish Independent & The Sunday Independent, runs from October 3-4th in The RDS, Dublin. Saturday 3rd October 10 am - 6.30 pm, Sunday 4th October 11 am - 6 pm.

Tickets available on Ticketmaster