p2p news / p2pnet:- You could argue the MIPI is Organized Music’s most successful pseudo-kop unit.

Affiliated with the infamous IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industries), the shadowy Music Industry Piracy Investigations is under the Australian Recording Industry Association and used to be run by Michael Speck.

Speck recently left for pastures new, handing over to Michael Kerin who vowed he wouldn’t follow the lead of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) by suing “children and the elderly”.

Now Kerin has gone, moving over to AFACT (Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft) as its director of investigative operations, leaving the MIPI in the lurch.

The existing management structure currently involves a general manager who coordinates surveillance and forensic investigators, manages litigation and also handles media enquiries, says an APC story.

Most forensic investigation and surveillance is sub-contracted to “forensics specialists and experts at ARIA lawyers Gilbert & Tobin” and, “It is understood that MIPIs budget was dramatically slashed upon Kerin’s arrival, which coincided with a string of high profile and costly litigation,” says APC.

“These primarily include the mp3s4free and Kazaa case, the cost of which has reportedly concerned music industry executives and allowed ARIA to consider alternative legal options.

“The Kazaa case locally cost $10 million from start to finish. The US record companies have spent US$25 million already and the trial has not yet begun. APC understands that ARIA is considering more criminal cases than civil cases in a bid to cut legal costs. Criminal cases would allow ARIA stakeholders to leverage police prosecutors rather than long term legal partners Gilbert & Tobin.

“Civil cases would still be run, but a new internal MIPI structure would bring the bulk of investigations in-house rather than outsourced.”

Kerin believed the MIPI needed an in-house lawyer, an investigations manager, and ideally a forensic investigator on staff rather than from outside, continues the APC story.

“Kerin’s proposed structure for MIPI added an administrative layer and a change in strategic direction to decrease litigation in favour of mediation,” it states. “He said his proposed structure was modelled on that of his new employer AFACT.”

“APC understands Kerin prepared a confidential feasibility paper on merging music industry piracy enforcement operations with the movie industry,” adds APC.

“Kerin declined to comment on whether a paper was submitted to ARIA. Asked if there was any merit in such a proposal, Kerin said: ‘There’s some merit in terms of unifying the messages of piracy and lobbying activity with government,’ he said. “But there’s also significant challenges with integration because of the different stakeholders.”

Rumours that Kerin was inspired in this by the p2pnet World Recording and Motion Picture Industry Association story should probably be discounted.

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First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win
- Mohandas Gandhi

Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local political representatives. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance.

See:-
Michael Speck - Big Music enforcer quits ARIA, February 17, 2005
Michael Kerin - New MIPI boss ‘won’t sue kids’, June 23, 2005
APC - MIPI boss quits and calls for changes, October 13, 2005
was inspired - RIAA, MPAA merger plans, November 11, 2004

This entry was posted on Friday, October 14th, 2005 at 1:34 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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