re: kazaa blocked destra Media welcomes crackdown on music/video...

re: kazaa blocked destra Media welcomes crackdown on music/video piracy
with shutdown of Kazaa Media Desktop
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MELBOURNE – 7 December 2005 – destra Media, a division of destra
Corporation Limited (ASX:DES) (destra), has welcomed news, Sharman
Networks has closed down Australian users' access to the Web site from
which the Kazaa Media Desktop file-sharing software is downloaded.
destraMusic.com, Australia’s largest legal music download network, owned
by destra Corporation, expects to be a major beneficiary of increased
global enforcement of copyright infringement and music/video piracy by
civil courts and criminal authorities.

Domenic Carosa, CEO of destra, said “The shutdown of Kazaa in Australia
symbolises that piracy of digital music and video and copyright
infringement is no longer tolerated by Australian courts and criminal
authorities.”

“With the comprehensive music catalogue incorporated in the
destraMusic.com network, Australian consumers are able to legally
purchase
music and video online, ensuring that artists are paid for their work
and
that there is a market to support emerging artists.”
The September court ruling in favour of music labels, including the
partners of destraMusic.com, represents a significant breakthrough for
the
Australian music industry. It is expected that such enforcement will
result in the prosecution of facilitators and individuals as has
occurred
extensively in the USA.

“These court orders deliver a significant boon for legal music on the
internet in Australia,” said Carl Olsen, destra’s Chairman. “It ensures
that the market will grow in excess of x45 times over the next four
years
as estimated by IDC recently.”

destraMusic.com provides a legal online music/video download facility
for
Australian online customers in partnership with major record labels and
music retailers. Through its investment in world-leading technology,
destraMusic.com offers customers the ability to purchase a track, fully
licensed from as little as 99cents.

To service customers without credit cards, payment for destraMusic.com
music tracks may also be made via SMS and prepaid vouchers available
throughout Australia.

destraMusic.com is the leading Australian alternative to iTunes and
features significantly more Australian and emerging artists through its
MP3.com.au sister site.