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Illegal file-sharing targeted by ISP

Virgin Media will become the first internet service provider (ISP) to target broadband subscribers who indulge in illegal file-sharing.

Virgin will be sending out letters to thousands of flagged web-users to issue a written warning. The British Phonographic Industry is keen to come down hard on illegal downloading and file-sharing through a "three strikes and out" policy, a move that would lead to disconnection and potentially even prosecution.

Geoff Taylor, the chief executive of BPI, told Amol Rajan at independent.co.uk: "Virgin Media is the first ISP to publicly address the problem. It is a socially responsible ISP and I think other ISPs will look at this and see progress. I am very encouraged they have engaged with us. They understand the rights of musicians."

He added: "Education is the absolute key to reducing the amount of illegal downloading … new partnerships with ISPs can help build an internet in which music is properly valued."

Despite the BPI’’s hardline approach to the subject, Virgin is taking a softer approach for the next few weeks, intending to simply raise awareness at first through written correspondence with particularly indulgent web-users.

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Pricing shift indicated with Apple’’s new HBO deal

A host of TV shows are to be made available through a new deal iTunes has made with cable TV producer HBO.

Prices will, however, differ for some programmes.

HBO television shows such as The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Flight of the Conchords will be available to download through iTunes, but some shows will be more expensive than others, priced at nearly $3 an episode rather than $2.

Rob Enderle, founder and principal analyst at consulting firm the Enderle Group, told John Boudreau at mercurynews.com: "I think this is the way it will go. Maybe a first-time movie will sell for $30. It’’s not going to sell for $2."

The pricing differences are based on the fact that not all content has equal status, with newer shows commanding the premium price tag.

The deal will enable Apple to draw attention away from a disagreement with American broadcaster NBC which lead to Apple removing all the network’’s shows from iTunes.

Around 800 TV shows are already available through iTunes, with episode download figures currently standing at 150 million.

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Apple to sell movies via iTunes

Apple has revealed that customers will be able to purchase new movie releases from major film studios from iTunes on the same day they are released on DVD.

The iPod manufacturer revealed that new releases and catalogue titles from studios like 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate, Image Entertainment and First Look Studios would be made available via iTunes.

Eddy Cue, Apple’’s vice president of iTunes, commented: "We”re thrilled to bring iTunes Store customers new films for purchase day-and-date with the DVD release.

"We think movie fans will love being able to buy their favourites from major and independent studios."

Once purchases, the movies can be viewed on an iPod with video function, iPhone, Mac or PC or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.

Adam Baum, a media analyst at Gartner, explained to the Times that studios had been reluctant to undermine DVD sales, but were beginning to understand the importance of digital services.

"This is ultimately cheaper for the studios, who will get rid of a lot of manufacturing and distribution costs, and they won”t have to share such a large slice of the pie with retailers," he explained.

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Building societies report record investments

In spite of the current global credit crunch, UK building societies benefited from record cash inflows during March, new figures show.

According to the latest figures from the Buildings Society Association (BSA) the sector brought it £1.26 billion over the month, representing a 70 per cent improvement on the same time last year and further proof that consumers are looking to protect their money amid the current economic uncertainty.

Adrian Coles, director-general of the BSA, noted: "Against the current uncertain economic climate, building societies are seen as tried and tested, traditional and trusted. Together with the competitive rates of interest they offer, these attributes mean societies continue to attract record levels of savings."

It was also revealed that building societies lent some £3,631 in March in comparison to £5,439 in the same month in 2007.

The publication of the figures comes soon after it was reported that growing numbers of consumers are choosing to keep their money at home rather than put it into banks or traditional investments.

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Coldplay announce special music download offer to mark return

Coldplay have announced that they are to offer music fans the chance to download their latest work for free.

To celebrate the launch of their new album, Vida la Vida, the four-piece have chosen to give people a taster through their website.

For a limited time only, therefore, visitors to the band’’s website will be able to download the single Violet Hill, while they will also be offering the new song as well as the track A Spell A Rebel Yell on a seven-inch vinyl to be given away free with this week’’s NME.

Furthermore, Coldplay have also confirmed that they will be treating fans to two free concerts over the coming weeks to mark their return.

In addition to a date at London’’s Brixton Academy on June 16, the band will also play at New York’’s Madison Square Garden exactly a week later, with details on how to obtain tickets to be made available on the band’’s website over the coming days.

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New deal boosts Nokia music download offers

Nokia has confirmed that it has signed an important new deal with the record label Sony BMG which will allow it to offer customers millions of songs to download.

This latest development means that the Finnish company now has deals in place with two of the world’’s big four record labels, with Universal Music having signed up late last year and is likely to further boost the popularity of its Comes With Music Service.

Through the service, customers are able to buy a special handset and then download as much music as they like over their phone for the duration of a one-year contract.

In addition, the offer also allows customers to keep their downloaded tracks and even transfer them onto another device once their contract is up.

Tero Ojanpera, executive vice president and head of the Nokia entertainment and communities business, commented: "As one of the leading major music companies in the world, our collaboration with Sony BMG means we can offer a huge range of fantastic music from international and local artists via Comes With Music."

Among the artists on offer to Nokia customers are Britney Spears, Bob Dylan, Foo Fighters, Michael Jackson and X Factor winners Leon Jackson and Leona Lewis.

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O2 announces special iPhone offer

The cost of an 8GB iPhone is to be slashed by more than a third as part of a limited offer from mobile phone operator O2, it has been announced.

Over recent weeks, speculation has mounted that Apple will soon be launching a 3G version of its phenomenally-popular mobile device, with news that stocks in the UK are running low and yet not being replenished only adding to the rumours.

Then last week, T-Mobile cut the price of iPhone handsets in Germany from £315 to £78.

Now, O2 has made its own reduction and will be offering the 8GB version for £169 until the start of June.

However, the larger capacity 16GB version will remain priced at around £320, though industry observers expect prices in the mobile communications to fall over the coming months as operators react to the slowing consumer demand prompted by the global credit slowdown.

As yet Apple have neither confirmed nor denied the murmurings of a 3G iPhone, with a spokesman for the company stating: "We don”t comment on rumour and speculation."

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Tesco to offer music downloads to compete with iTunes

Tesco has announced that it plans to offer a new music download service and take on the market iTunes.

The retailer’’s digital-DRM service is scheduled for a May launch in the UK, when around 3.3 million songs will be made available to its customers, with thousands of TV shows and movies expected to be on offer within the following months.

Furthermore, 1.6 million of the 3.3 million tunes will be made available in MP3 format from the start, with the rest to follow.

Commenting on the launch, Graham Harris, Tesco’’s commercial director, said: "We”re starting out with a comprehensive music offering, but customers can expect downloadable TV and films as well as games to buy very soon."

Since 2004, Tesco has been offering downloads, but only through Windows Media, and it is hoped that this new initiative will help strengthen its position within the market.

At present, Madonna, Duffy and Estelle are dominating the UK download charts.

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New chip will let iPods store 500,000 songs

Scientists have announced a scientific breakthrough which may soon allow iPods and other entertainment devices to hold hundreds of times more information than they are able to at present.

At present, the greatest number of songs a music device can hold is 40,000, but researchers at IBM in California now say that a new type of digital storage could push this up beyond 500,000, or 3,500 movies.

In addition, the new ”racetrack” memory technology is expected to be cheaper to produce and less liable to fail, a new paper published in the current issue of Science has revealed.

Stuart Parkin, the IBM fellow who led the research, said: "The promise of racetrack memory - for example, the ability to carry massive amounts of information in your pocket - could unleash creativity leading to devices and applications that nobody has imagined yet."

However, IBM added that, for the moment, the technology is still in the "exploratory stages" though it could be offered to consumers within the next ten years.

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MySpace to launch new music downloading service

Music-loving consumers are set to benefit from an even greater choice of tunes as MySpace has announced that it is to launch its own downloading service.

Aimed at rivalling Apple’s massively popular iTunes, the new service will allow artists of all sizes to sell their music over their own pages on the social networking site.

In addition, they will be able to offer their fans the opportunity to buy concert tickets, mobile phone ringtones and band merchandise, it has been confirmed.

Chris DeWolfe, MySpace co-founder and chief executive, commented: "We believe that the web is becoming increasingly more social.

"MySpace Music is a new way of experiencing music online that everyone can participate in."

At present, MySpace boasts around 110 million users across 25 national websites, while it is estimated that there are around five million artists using it to publicise their music.

Among the acts MySpace has been credited with helping launch into the mainsteam are Kate Nash and the Arctic Monkeys.

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BBC iPlayer fails to catch on

The displacement of TVs by internet services such as the BBC iPlayer could be someway off, according to the latest research.

Statistics compiled by Entertainment Media Research on behalf of media law firm Wiggin revealed that less than one in five respondents used legal provisions such as the BBC iPlayer to stream or download traditional TV.

More than half said that they would be more likely to use such streaming or downloading services if more choice was available in one place.

Just six per cent said that they regularly watched full TV programmes on streaming sites, while five per cent said they regularly watch TV on their PC using a viewing card or USB tuner.

“People are still familiar with the idea of sitting down at the appointed time to watch their favourite programme and to some extent people like having their lives dictated by scheduling,” said Alexander Ross, a partner in music and technology law at Wiggin, according to the Times.

According to statistics from the BBC released last month, more than 17 million programmes were streamed or downloaded in the first seven weeks of the technology.

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New music download phone offer unveiled

The UK-based firm Omnifone has announced that it is to offer its customers unlimited music downloads for a monthly fee.

As the market for mobile music becomes increasingly competitive, the company unveiled their latest offer at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The new service, which is called Music Station Max, will initially be available on LG phones, though other manufacturers have been lined up, while deals have already been made with Universal, the world’s largest record label.

As well as being able to download an unlimited number of tracks from a database of more than 1.6 million, subscribers will also be able keep them even once their subscription expires.

Commenting on the new offer, Rob Wells, senior vice president of digital at Universal Music Group, said: “MusicStation Max represents the next generation in music mobiles where unlimited music comes out of the box with the handset.”

Nokia is also set to launch its Comes With Music phone over the next few months, with the Finnish firm having also reached an agreement with Universal.

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