Swedish music sales rise post-piracy
After a crackdown on illegal file-sharing, Sweden seems to be bucking the trend of declining music sales. South Korea is following suit with its own anti-piracy rules and seeing similar success. Stephen Beard reports.
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Stacey Vanek-Smith: Anti-piracy laws in Sweden appear to be paying off. Music sales have spiked in that country since a crack-down on illegal file-sharing. Stephen Beard has more.
Stephen Beard: Over the past five years, global musics sales have slumped by a third. But suddenly Sweden has bucked the trend. Sales there have soared, up 18 percent this year.
Two key factors could be at play. Sweden passed a new law earlier this year making it easier to prosecute illegal file-sharing. And a court convicted the operators of the Pirate Bay filesharing site.
Adrian Strain is a record industry spokesman:
Adrian Strain: The combination of those two events, we think, has helped bolster the legitimate music market. And I think that's quite an important case study for the rest of the world.
He says there's been a similar development in South Korea. Music sales have also risen there following a crackdown. He says it's far too soon to call the end of illegal downloading, but Sweden's experience is encouraging.
In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.
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