Google criticised on pirated music

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An organisation which represents music labels around the world has criticised Google, claiming it has failed to deliver on promises to tackle illegal file-sharing. The IFPI said guarantees Google had made about copyright infringement 12 months ago "remained unfulfilled". It added that they had made "modest steps". In response Google declined to comment on what it called a "press stunt". 'Piracy' claims In the report, the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) accused Google of making money from "sites and applications that engage in piracy". It said, as the world's biggest search engine, it had a "special responsibility" to protect copyrighted music. It said some work had been done but that more action had to be taken if Google "is not to continue to be abused as a vehicle for piracy." "Google also needs to do more to ensure that it does not derive revenue from illegal activity and supports the digital marketplace in which it itself is a participant," it added. Speaking on behalf of record labels around the world, the IFPI has urged Google to take action, including spending money to prioritise search results which direct users to legal music services. In September 2011 Google's Senior Vice President & General Counsel Kent Walker blogged about the company's commitment to copyright material. He wrote: "Making high-value content available in authorised forms is a crucial part of the battle against online infringement." In a statement to the BBC, Google also "pointed to congressional testimony by the company's copyright counsel, Katherine Oyama, last month about what it's doing to fight online piracy". 'Not Google's job' Newsbeat asked people what they thought about the issue. Kim Jarrett, 23, from Essex, said: "I don't think it's Google's job to stop it. "It's a search engine for people trying to find information and if information is there it's not for them to censor it. "If record companies have a problem with illegal downloading of music then they should speak to their lawyers and get in touch with the websites themselves." Annie Lee, 18, from London added: "I do think that Google has some stake and responsibility, but at the same time it's not really their domain - they're just out there as the search engine. "[But] Google could stop having on their search results all these different download sites - it is pretty straightforward. "But at the same time people are just going to keep devising new ways to do it."

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.