Internet censorship in Denmark — my ISP just blocked for access to Allofmp3!

News Type: Event — Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:10 PM EST

technology, internet, censorship, denmark, isp, ifpi, allofmp3, music-shop

The great thing about Allofmp3 is that customers can choose among the most common audio formats (mp3, mp4, wma, ogg, mpc, flac), and also choose the quality of the music files or full albums (128 kbps to CD) they wish to purchase. This is not possible anywhere else, and best of all: the files are without DRM.

All Danish Internet Service Providers (ISP) are now blocking the access to one of the world's biggest and most popular online music shops, Allofmp3.com. This is the result of a recent court ruling to a civil lawsuit which the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) brought against the Danish ISP, Tele2, demanding the cessation of customer access to Allofmp3.com.

The decision now applies to all ISPs within the European Union, even though the Danish Ministry of Culture has declared the Russian site legal for Danish citizens to use. Very strange indeed.

The problem is not so much whether Allofmp3 is legal or not. What concerns me is that the ISPs are now responsible for which sites their customers visit. This could result in blocking the access to Google for instance, like in China, or other sites which the corporate industry (or the government) doesn't want people to visit. I think this is the first step towards Internet censorship.

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Regions: Denmark

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4.3

{"commentId":398504,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

It's quite easy to bypass the ISP blocking, though. You just choose another DNS server than the one your ISP provided you, e.g. OpenDNS. Plot the following figures into your network setup, and you're done:

I now got access to Allofmp3 again, and was able to purchase the albums I was looking for. I have been trying for a long time to get hold of the digital releases by Fela Kuti, which I bought on LPs in Nigeria some twenty years ago. Thanks to Allofmp3, I now succeeded ;-)

{"commentId":398504,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

6 votes

#1 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:34 PM EST

{"commentId":403820,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Latest: Russia to shut down AllofMP3.com!

{"commentId":403820,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#1.1 - Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:12 PM EST

{"commentId":398513,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

Dennis P. McCann

purchase? bought? What are these strange terms?

{"commentId":398513,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

7 votes

#2 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:37 PM EST

{"commentId":398521,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

What do you mean? Allofmp3 is a SHOP where you PAY for the goods. They don't give it away for free.

{"commentId":398521,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

4 votes

#2.1 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:42 PM EST

{"commentId":399223,"authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

AdipicAcid

Allofmp3 is a SHOP where you PAY for the goods.

In all fairness, it's closer to a dude who's selling stereos on the side of the road that "fell off of the truck" while on the way to Best Buy the way that laws are currently written. If you don't like the laws, the thing to do is get them changed. I'm all for that. Eternal copyright does not serve the public good.

{"commentId":399223,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

4 votes

#2.2 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:46 AM EST

{"commentId":399506,"authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

Jay Butler

Absolutely. You pay someone who does not own the goods, nor do they even have the right to sell them.

This model just soothes the consciences of the customers. They pay something for the music, so it is not stealing (right?). But, they are not paying the parties who own the rights to or who create the "purchased" music.

{"commentId":399506,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

5 votes

#2.3 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:00 PM EST

{"commentId":400912,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

... they are not paying the parties who own the rights to or who create the "purchased" music.

Allofmp3 claims that they do pay the copyright owners:

We pay Russian Licensing Societies 15% for all music. The Russian Licensing Societies will in turn pay the copyright owners, not necessarily the artists. Despite no legal requirement to do so, we are currently considering paying original performing artists 5%, regardless of who owns the copyright to the underlying work.

{"commentId":400912,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

2 votes

#2.4 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:55 AM EST

{"commentId":398529,"authorDomain":"djehuty"}

Djehuty

Is there an appeal process happening? I would imagine the ISPs would be very worried about the implications of responsibility for the content they carry. How about the phone companies, are they now going to be in court whenever a blackmailer uses a telephone to transmit a threat? Or perhaps it's only in the case of a reasonable belief that the person might use the telephone for a crime? Then all convicted felons would be denied phone access.

Australia has seen a number of crazy rulings lately in the internet and IP area, but they haven't gone to this extent. I wonder if there are moves to legislate so as to prevent this type of court action?

{"commentId":398529,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"djehuty"}

3 votes

#3 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:50 PM EST

{"commentId":398596,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

The ISP (Danish Tele2) has decided NOT to appeal the ruling. This means that all other ISPs within the EU are going to comply with the new rules, whether they like it or not. I don't understand why they should be held responsible for which sites people choose to visit. Phone companies and ISPs are usually the same here in DK.

The IFPI also recently tried to close down the BitTorrent tracker "The Pirate Bay" but the Swedish authorities had to admit, that they were not doing anything illegal. Swedish ISPs refuse so far to comply with the Danish court ruling. I don't know about the other members of the EU.

{"commentId":398596,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:43 PM EST

{"commentId":401448,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

The European Digital Rights (EDRI) have some interesting comments to the case:

The verdict could have very strong implications for the future. It clearly states that an ISP can be held liable for temporarily (milliseconds) storing infringing data on their routers. This means that ISPs can be forced to block websites, if the court decides that these sites are mainly used to spread "illegal" content.

The head of a Danish telecommunications industry group told Computerworld Denmark that they "are horrified over this judgment, to say the least. It means that we must now keep an eye on what our users are doing online. And blocking user access to certain websites will never be a perfect solution."

Here's a translation of the verdict from the Pro Piracy Lobby: IFPI vs. Tele 2.

In addition to Tele2, only three other Danish ISPs are complying with the controversial court ruling (TDC, Cybercity og Telia Stofa). I just wrote a letter to my ISP (Telia Stofa) telling them that I'll find another ISP if they don't lift their ban on Allofmp3 immediately. I also told them that there are about 200 other shops in Eastern and Central Europe selling cheap music online. Many of those are within the European Union.

{"commentId":401448,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

1 vote

#3.2 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:55 PM EST

{"commentId":398538,"authorDomain":"denniswright"}

Dennis M Wright

Buy some CDs like honest folk everywhere. Or try iTunes.

{"commentId":398538,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"denniswright"}

3 votes

#4 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:56 PM EST

{"commentId":398628,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Dennis, I buy a lot of music, but I don't want to pay the ridiculous high prices of a new CD. The same goes for iTunes Music Store. And they only sell compressed files (mp3 or mp4), while Allofmp3 offers lossless formats at a very reasonable price.

{"commentId":398628,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

4 votes

#4.1 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:07 PM EST

{"commentId":398639,"authorDomain":"denniswright"}

Dennis M Wright

It's not legal, though. As for CDs and iTunes there is an open market and anti-trust laws in all major economies. The price is the price.

The answer will come when more musicians start to bypass the traditional record companies and market their music direct.

{"commentId":398639,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"denniswright"}

7 votes

#4.2 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:21 PM EST

{"commentId":398980,"authorDomain":"nickford"}

Nick Ford

Just a note, iTunes only sells AAC encoded DRM files. The only option is 128kbps.

{"commentId":398980,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"nickford"}

#4.3 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:39 AM EST

{"commentId":399296,"authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

Jay Butler

I don't want to pay the ridiculous high prices of a new CD

Why let a little thing like the artist being compensated get in the way of your music collection? I am guessing that the record labels and the artists get approximately zero percent of every sale on AllOfMP3 (regardless of the legality under Russian law).

{"commentId":399296,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

3 votes

#4.4 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:20 AM EST

{"commentId":400769,"authorDomain":"tenni"}

tenni

Actually, record labels and recording artists (specifically copyright holders) get fifteen percent of every sale through Allofmp3.

They are considering an additional (unrequired) five percent to go directly to the original performing artist, regardless of copyright ownership (which the record company usually has tied up).

See FAQ

{"commentId":400769,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"tenni"}

1 vote

#4.5 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:21 AM EST

{"commentId":400806,"authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

AdipicAcid

Actually, record labels and recording artists (specifically copyright holders) get fifteen percent of every sale through Allofmp3.

Forgive my skepticism, but I'd wait to see some independently audited numbers before I believed that. Is anyone on the Vine a recording artist who has music on AllofMP3? Ever seen a check?

{"commentId":400806,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

1 vote

#4.6 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:23 AM EST

{"commentId":400826,"authorDomain":"aloriel"}

Aloriel

Forgive my skepticism, but I'd wait to see some independently audited numbers before I believed that. Is anyone on the Vine a recording artist who has music on AllofMP3? Ever seen a check?

Ooohhh! and you think that independent artist associated to big editorials & industry get their money? well, not in Spain, that's for sure.

{"commentId":400826,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"aloriel"}

1 vote

#4.7 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:50 AM EST

{"commentId":400829,"authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

AdipicAcid

Where did I imply that? I'm the one who's called for the abolition of eternal copyright for that reason, among other things. Saying that AllofMP3 is no worse than the copyright cartel is faint praise indeed.

{"commentId":400829,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

1 vote

#4.8 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:53 AM EST

{"commentId":401540,"authorDomain":"tenni"}

tenni

@AdipicAcid Is anyone on the Vine a recording artist who has music on AllofMP3?

I am!

And no I haven't seen a cheque. If I did it would come from ROMS or Sony, not AllofMp3. (…and it wouldn't be for much—I'm primarily a guitarist who works for Sony BMG in Aust. so I don't get paid through royalties that much, only on a few songs that we've negotiated writing credits for.)

My understanding is that Sony BMG (the copyright holder) haven't registered with ROMS, which they would be required to do to receive payment (same deal as ASCAP). I don't think any of the RIAA group has, as it could be seen as ratifying AllOfMp3's position, which the RIAA doesn't want to do at this point. Either way ROMS should be holding the accumulated payments until such a time as they're able to pay them out (which might make for a big accumulated payday some time in the future!!)

{"commentId":401540,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"tenni"}

3 votes

#4.9 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:35 PM EST

{"commentId":401586,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

... it could be seen as ratifying AllOfMp3's position, which the RIAA doesn't want to do at this point.

Very interesting point, tenni. If copyright holders throughout the world registered with the Russians (ROMS), they would get the share they are entitled to. So, why don't they just do that?

{"commentId":401586,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#4.10 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 4:08 PM EST

{"commentId":401707,"authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

AdipicAcid

they would get the share they are entitled to. So, why don't they just do that?

Perhaps because they don't believe that they will get the share they feel they are entitled to? That's a tricky word and it has different meanings for the parties involved. Obviously, the RIAA and related entities do not believe that ROMS is a fair trade, and therefore refuse to participate.

You and I may think otherwise, but it is hardly surprising that they hold to this position. It amounts to compulsory licensing, which they are opposed to.

{"commentId":401707,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

#4.11 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 5:15 PM EST

{"commentId":401746,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Well, copyright laws work differently in different countries. In Sweden and Canada file sharing is legal, for instance, so the copyright holders get their share of the royalties via a fee added to the blank CDs instead. Of course the IFPI could find a way to work out this problem with the Russians, if they wanted to. They just don't seem to want.

{"commentId":401746,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#4.12 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 5:35 PM EST

{"commentId":403168,"authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

Jay Butler

royalties via a fee added to the blank CDs instead

Do you agree with that royalty model?

Have you ever inadvertently damaged a CD before you used it? Royalty paid to the record industry.

Have you ever used a CD to backup your data (no music at all)? Royalty paid to the record industry.

Have you ever used CD to store music or a movie that you created? Royalty paid to the record industry.

That is the worst model by far. Thanks to Microsoft's desire to get on the digital music train, this model just made its way to portable music players. Some amount of money is given the Universal for every Zune sold.

This amounts to nothing short of assuming that every consumer is a criminal.

{"commentId":403168,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

2 votes

#4.13 - Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:01 PM EST

{"commentId":403244,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

That is the worst model by far.

I agree that this is a bad way to solve the royalty problems. Nearly as bad as holding the ISPs responsible for their customers visiting to Allofmp3. And it's getting worse. From December this year the Danish government will add this fee on every kind of harddisk/storage media that can hold more than 100 MB. Yes, we're all being labeled criminals!

{"commentId":403244,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#4.14 - Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:46 PM EST

{"commentId":403259,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Sorry, that should read 10 MB. And it also includes cell phones.

{"commentId":403259,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#4.15 - Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:51 PM EST

{"commentId":398591,"authorDomain":"richardg"}

RichardG

I've never heard of this site before, but their is this legal FAQ page is interesting.

The Russian Copyright Law provides non-profit Russian Licensing Societies with a right to grant licenses and to collect royalties for the use of music without necessarily obtaining permission from the copyright owners, as stated in Article 45(3).

I'm not sure where I stand on ISPs blocking access to sites that are illegal in a country. It shouldn't be down to ISPs and I don't want a content firewall to protect me. However I don't think this particular site should be allowed to serve customers outside of Russia, where this rather odd law seems to exist.

The laws of different countries and the Internet are going to clash at some time, and it's not a problem I would want to be in charge of solving.

{"commentId":398591,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"richardg"}

2 votes

#5 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:40 PM EST

{"commentId":398655,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

I Russia music on the internet is handled the same way as music on the radio. The providers pay a fixed amount each year in royalties to the Russian copyright organisation.

The laws of different countries and the Internet are going to clash at some time, and it's not a problem I would want to be in charge of solving.

Neither would I ;-)

{"commentId":398655,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

2 votes

#5.1 - Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:31 PM EST

{"commentId":399240,"authorDomain":"prez"}

Matt Kennedy

Dennis, I buy a lot of music, but I don't want to pay the ridiculous high prices of a new CD.

I'm a bit of a game collector myself; I have over 360 now. You think a music CD is expensive? Try buying a new game! That can be 2x or 3x more expensive. And basically, when I can't afford to buy it... I just can't afford to buy it. I do without, unfortunately.

{"commentId":399240,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"prez"}

2 votes

#6 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 9:12 AM EST

{"commentId":399520,"authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

Jay Butler

Keld, the picture included is very timely.

Beatles: only on iPod?

After years of refusing to make the move to MP3, the Beatles may give Steve Jobs' iTunes an exclusive, reports Fortune's Tim Arango.

{"commentId":399520,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

1 vote

#7 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:04 PM EST

{"commentId":400900,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Thanks Jay. I deliberately choose the picture of the Beatles album because their music is not available anywhere else on the net. Allofmp3 have 105 Beatles albums in store ;-)

{"commentId":400900,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#7.1 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:45 AM EST

{"commentId":400907,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

Dennis P. McCann

I downloaded the new album, Love, yesterday...and it wasn't on AllofMP3.

{"commentId":400907,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

2 votes

#7.2 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:50 AM EST

{"commentId":399539,"authorDomain":"zaki"}

Zaki

My dear buddy,

we agree on many things, but we will disagree on this.

Allofmp3 is a scam. Its idea of legality is completely and utterly false. Royalties are not paid to the artists. To think that simply because Russia does not have piracy laws similar to other countries, this loophole cannot be justified. There are some very old East 17 albums I'm dying to buy on allofmp3.com (I can't find them anywhere else on Planet Earth) but I refuse, because illegal music is what it is, and I am not going to PAY for illegal music.

Either download music illegally, or download it legally, either way, that's fine with me, not to mention there's a pirate party in Sweden, maybe someday there will be one in your country. But do not pay for pirated music.

Why pay someone who makes a profit out of buying 1 copy and multiply it to millions? He does not deserve that money.

{"commentId":399539,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"zaki"}

4 votes

#8 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:11 PM EST

{"commentId":400123,"authorDomain":"aloriel"}

Aloriel

because illegal music is what it is, and I am not going to PAY for illegal music.

Then just download it from a P2P network.

But do not pay for pirated music.

Well, I think that right now music prices are that high that it can be called a robbery, when you buy a CD I mean.

{"commentId":400123,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"aloriel"}

2 votes

#8.1 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 6:51 PM EST

{"commentId":401141,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Zaki:

There are some very old East 17 albums I'm dying to buy on allofmp3.com (I can't find them anywhere else on Planet Earth)

You haven't looked hard enough, Zaki. There are plenty of music by East 17 on Amazon for instance. Alternatively, go hunting here.

{"commentId":401141,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#8.2 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:14 PM EST

{"commentId":403075,"authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

Jay Butler

music prices are that high that it can be called a robbery

You do have the option to not pay that overpriced music. Thinking that the music is overpriced does not give one the option to pay less or steal it. The product is sold at the price requested by the seller. If there are too few sales, the seller may decide to lower the selling price. Setting the price is the right of the seller.

{"commentId":403075,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"jaybutler"}

1 vote

#8.3 - Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:17 PM EST

{"commentId":403645,"authorDomain":"aloriel"}

Aloriel

Thinking that the music is overpriced does not give one the option to pay less or steal it.

At least in Spain the laws say that downloading music for yoursef from the internet is not a crime. Of course you can do whatever you want meanwhile I will continue downloading as much as I want.

{"commentId":403645,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"aloriel"}

2 votes

#8.4 - Wed Nov 29, 2006 6:57 PM EST

{"commentId":403744,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

It's very important to distinguish between file sharing and piracy. The latter is clearly a crime, since you make profit from other people's work, while file sharing is solely for personal or non-profit use. Several studies have shown that downloading doesn't harm the music industry. Quite the contrary, it helps promoting the not so well-established groups.

{"commentId":403744,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

2 votes

#8.5 - Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:11 PM EST

{"commentId":404301,"authorDomain":"aloriel"}

Aloriel

Several studies have shown that downloading doesn't harm the music industry. Quite the contrary, it helps promoting the not so well-established groups.

But the industry will never accept those reports. Meanwhile they ask for more years of copyright using the actors as puppets and they remove almost every new album 6 months or 1 year after its release. Some of that albums can not be found any more, just on the P2P networks, which makes them even more important.

{"commentId":404301,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"aloriel"}

#8.6 - Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:42 AM EST

{"commentId":404546,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

But the industry will never accept those reports.

The whole entertainment industry is a very powerful entity but they are not doing anything good for the customers. The current copyright laws don't fit into the digital world and they need to be changed. In Sweden they have a political party dealing only with these three issues: "Reform of copyright law", "An abolished patent system" and "Respect for the right to privacy". They will never be in parliament, of course, but they are the third biggest party in Sweden regarding members.

{"commentId":404546,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

1 vote

#8.7 - Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:57 AM EST

{"commentId":404596,"authorDomain":"aloriel"}

Aloriel

In Sweden they have a political party dealing only [..]

Oh! not only in Sweden, now is a quite global movement! * International Pirate Party * Sweden * Austria * Australia * Belgium * France * United States * Italy * Germany * United Kingdom * Canadá * Netherlands * New Zealand * Poland * Russia * Switzerland * Brazil * South Africa * Spain
Maybe and just maybe these political parties were formed beacuse quite a lot of citizents are annoyed by copyright laws, but just maybe :-)

{"commentId":404596,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"aloriel"}

2 votes

#8.8 - Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:18 AM EST

{"commentId":404639,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Thanks a lot for this. I didn't know it was so widespread, but that's definitely the way to go. I hope something similar will happen here in DK soon.

{"commentId":404639,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#8.9 - Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:42 AM EST

{"commentId":404653,"authorDomain":"aloriel"}

Aloriel

I hope something similar will happen here in DK soon.

When I was there my (danish) dorm-mates told me that in Denmark is illegal to download files from P2P networks, for personal non-profit use, and the one from Germany told me the same about his country, I guess they're right.

{"commentId":404653,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"aloriel"}

#8.10 - Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:47 AM EST

{"commentId":404773,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Yes, it's illegal to download copyrighted material here, but many people do it anyway. If the Danish Anti-Piracy Group (APG) finds out, they will threaten to sue you but no court will take the case (unless it's about piracy), so it's relatively safe to download.

I was once caught linking to some copyrighted music files and the APG threatened to sue me, but instead I sued them for threatening me, so they eventually dropped the case. It was in all the newspapers here and I even went on national TV to explain about the ridiculous rules.

{"commentId":404773,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

2 votes

#8.11 - Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:01 PM EST

{"commentId":399550,"authorDomain":"tom"}

tom

Indeed

{"commentId":399550,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"tom"}

7 votes

#9 - Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:18 PM EST

{"commentId":400858,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Hey tom. One should always be careful with credit card information on the internet (and elsewhere), but Allofmp3 is not a "bunch of Russian hackers". They are running quite a decent music shop, far better than anything else I know of - including iTunes Music Store. Allofmp3 has been perfectly legal here in Denmark up till now, and I've been shopping there for the past five years without any troubles what so ever. The same have most of my friends. As long as I have to pay about 30 US$ for a new CD, I'm going to continue shopping there.

{"commentId":400858,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

2 votes

#9.1 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:15 AM EST

{"commentId":400877,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

By the way, the Danish ISPs have not blocked for access to the many other Russian music shops on the net. Here are two alternative ones which I can recommend: Media Club and MP3Search.

{"commentId":400877,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

#9.2 - Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:27 AM EST

{"commentId":406191,"authorDomain":"nickford"}

Nick Ford

Keld, I don't know much about AllofMP3, but I highly recommend you check out the online record store "Bleep". It's got a variety of downloading options ranging from high-quality, VBR, MP3 files to lossless FLAC files, all of which are DRM-free and entirely legal. The site is based in the UK and is owned and run by Warp Records (meaning you pretty much have to be into their music), but it's awesome and a shining example of what an online music distributor should be.

{"commentId":406191,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"nickford"}

#9.3 - Fri Dec 1, 2006 9:44 AM EST

{"commentId":407456,"authorDomain":"keld"}

Keld Bach

Thanks Nick. I've never heard of Bleep before, but it looks quite interesting. It's good to be able to choose the quality of your files, but I didn't find any groups or recordings I knew. I listened to a few previews though, and there seem to be a lot of interesting stuff there.

{"commentId":407456,"threadId":"57263","contentId":"457977","authorDomain":"keld"}

1 vote

#9.4 - Sat Dec 2, 2006 6:38 AM EST

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KELD BACH

Backyard

Internet censorship in Denmark — my ISP just blocked for access to Allofmp3!

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