p2pnet news view | P2P | Music:- Like so many other proponents of free speech and openness online, p2pnet friend and supporter Pablo Soto has for years been under attack by Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music, the Big 4 corporate music labels.

Based in Madrid, Spain, he developed the Manolito protocol, and P2P file sharing applications Blubster and Piolet.

Blubster was also the first commercial file sharing application to advertise in p2pnet.

Pablo had to drop his ad, our longest running, when the Big 4 renewed their attack on him last year.

More recently, “The multi-billion-dollar Big 4 are … determined to wipe this last survivor of the early P2P companies off the map, claiming Soto owes €13 million (about $C20,440,111) they would have made had Blubster not been around,” said p2pnet, quoting the Associated Press as saying Spanish courts have repeatedly ruled free music downloading isn’t illegal if it’s not for commercial use, and going on »»»

This stance has infuriated the music business which claims it is being cheated of rightful earnings. The industry says Spain is among the worst offenders for what it says is internet piracy.

Soto says business groups are now trying to target program designers after several failed cases against people who downloaded music for personal use.

Now, a Madrid court is this month expected to rule in a case which, “although similar to others in Europe and the U.S., is being closely watched on both sides of the Atlantic because Spain is ranked as one of the world’s worst Internet piracy offenders,” says another AP story, quoting Antonio Guisasola, president of Promusicae, the Spanish record label hard-wired to Sony, Universal, Warner and EMI, as stating »»»

We are attacking companies who are profiting by developing applications that are used for piracy.

He hopes the case will, “mirror recent court rulings against operations such as Napster in the United States and Pirate Bay in Sweden,” says the story. “He and others also hope it will also force Spain to finally draw up new legislation and enforce it. They cite a new law in France that aims to cut off Internet connections of those who repeatedly download music and films illegally.”

“If they win, I close shop,” AP has Pablo saying.

“If I win, I’ll be able to sleep again. euro13 million would be a financial life sentence.”

He, “admits he makes money from advertising but insists this is perfectly legal,” says the story, adding:

“He said that claims he has made loads of money are ridiculous, arguing that he has never had more than euro15,000 in his bank account, still operates out of his grandmothers [sic] apartment and lives in a rented flat.”

Buena suerte amigo.

Stay tuned.

Jon Newton - p2pnet

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June, 2009