International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)

About the IFPI

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. Its secretariat is based in London, UK and has regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami, Athens and Moscow.

IFPI recognises 48 affiliate groups, including BPI (British Phonographic Industry), RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association), and CAPIF (Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers).

The IFPI represents more than 1,450 record companies, large and small, in 75 different countries. Its stated policies are to fight copyright infringement; promote industry-friendly copyright laws; and lobby for legal conditions believed to be in the interest of recording companies, including DRM.

The chief executive and chairman of IFPI is John Kennedy, who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years and was one of the co-producers of Live Aid and Live8.

Any company, firm or person producing sound recordings or music videos which are made available to the public in reasonable quantities is eligible for membership of IFPI. In those countries where there is a national group of IFPI or an affiliated organisation, potential members should first join the national body before seeking membership of IFPI.

The IFPI vs. The Pirate Bay

In mid-October 2007, after the IFPI let the ifpi.com domain registration lapse, ownership of the ifpi.com domain was transferred to The Pirate Bay, a pro-piracy group which claimed it received the domain from an anonymous donor. The group set up a Web site under the domain titled "International Federation of Pirates Interests," a replacement backronym for IFPI. Ownership of the domain was returned to the IFPI in late November, when a WIPO arbitration panel concluded that "the Disputed Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark in which the [IFPI] has rights" and that the Pirate Bay's representative "registered and [was] using the Disputed Domain Name in bad faith" and failed to adequately rebut the IFPI's contention that he "has no rights or a legitimate interest in the Disputed Domain Name."

2008-06-30