IFPI Advises Kids to Use LimeWire and Kazaa

Written by Ernesto on May 11, 2008 

Together with the charity Childnet, IFPI recently launched a campaign to educate kids, teachers and parents about the dangers of filesharing. Ironically, the legal alternatives they suggest direct the kids to LimeWire, Kazaa and sites that sell hardcore adult movies.

music kidsThe campaign’s leaflet (pdf) is distributed through schools and colleges, libraries, record stores, teaching portals and websites in 21 countries. It advises kids and parents about the dangers of filesharing, and advises them to use the legal music online stores, which are listed on pro-music.org, with the aim of keeping kids safe online.

IFPI proudly announced their new campaign a few weeks ago, writing: “The campaign comes as millions of people take advantage of the explosion of new ways of accessing music digitally, but still lack clarity on safety and legal issues, on finding legitimate sites, on the basics of copyright and on how to unpick the jargon of digital music.”

IFPI has always been concerned with the safety of children, and on pro-music.org they maintain a list of download stores that are ’safe’ to use. I was of course curious about these legal stores, and since i’m from the Netherlands, I decided to give the Dutch legal stores a try. This turned out to be an interesting experiment.

To my surprise, the first 4 sites on the list were all gone, some had quit, and others redirected to websites that didn’t sell any music. Even worse, commodore.nl -the first site on the list- served ads for a scam site that sells filesharing software.

I finally got something that looked like a music store when I got to the fifth link, dance-tunes. However, when I searched for the latest Radiohead album, nothing came up. The site only has a few mp3s, and nothing of my choice.

The journey continued, and with sixth site, download.nl, I finally found some good music. Interestingly however, the songs I found were not for sale. Instead, I was advised to download LimeWire, Shareaza and Kazaa Lite. This may indeed sound a little confusing, but the IFPI apparently wants kids to use filesharing software after all.

So, to sum up my legal music experiment. I tried the first 6 sites advised by IFPI, 4 didn’t sell any music, the fifth only listed a few songs, and the sixth website I tried advised me to install LimeWire or Kazaa. It gets even worse further down the list where the kids end up at sites that sell hardcore adult movies.

Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media said about the new campaign: “The new guide is a very good example of an initiative that offers simple, practical advice to parents and teachers to keep young people safe and legal while enjoying music on the Internet.

I guess she didn’t try it herself.

Screenshot of a music “store” promoted by IFPI

ifpi

Previously: Shareaza Stands Up To Scammers: “We’re fighting back!”

Next: Best-Selling Author Turns Piracy into Profit

88 Responses

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1 May 11, 2008 at 18:32 by Method

Thats the IFPI for ya.

2 May 11, 2008 at 18:40 by Anonymous

when you think about it, the best thing they could hope for is for you to have a horrible online experience, maybe get a virus or two, then give up and go back to buying overpriced plastic discs.

3 May 11, 2008 at 18:44 by kPod

Doesn’t that theoretically mean that so long as you have that pamphlet, you can download anything from Limewire etc, and if you get accused of copyright infringement, you can flip the tables and say either that they approve of it, or it was entrapment?

4 May 11, 2008 at 18:45 by DDD

Can they really be this stupid? It’s almost too stupid which makes me wonder if there’s some psychology behind this (ex making legal downloads appear to be complicated to push kids to the brick and mortar stores to purchase cd’s). I think I’m giving them too much credit. They’re just stupid.

5 May 11, 2008 at 18:47 by kar

this is a massive des-information camping

6 May 11, 2008 at 18:48 by Anonymous

Ha, educating kids on the lack of legal music, and that the only alternatives is P2P.

7 May 11, 2008 at 18:55 by very

thx IFPI. u rock!! :)

8 May 11, 2008 at 18:56 by Binsy

Just another example of industry ignorance and stupidity in the online world. Idiots!

At least they’re helping to educate young kids where to get their music in a digital marketplace that stinks of DRM and extravagant prices :P

9 May 11, 2008 at 19:02 by very

the reason Music Records cost so much is because the record company executives “steal” most of the money, for incentives and other such stuff.

I’ve also read the children of these guys(executives of music and movie companies) also use torrents and P2P for music and movies!!! So shouldn’t they practice first at home, before preaching.

In my country, music stores are shutting down because youngsters hate to buy music in the form of CDs and music companies keep on preaching about “piracy” and call us as “thieves”. So naturally, even those who could have bought CDs don’t do so anymore. Why should “thieves” buy??

These bast***** should concentrate on creating better music, rather than on irritating us.

10 May 11, 2008 at 19:03 by Anonymous

[quote comment="381821"]Ha, educating kids on the lack of legal music, and that the only alternatives is P2P.[/quote]
yup, it’s like accepting defeat. they should learn to change, if they what to survive.

11 May 11, 2008 at 19:07 by Al Koholic

Quote: “IFPI has always been concerned with the safety of children”. When the IFPI (Idiots For Policing the Internet) mentions children what they really mean is money.

Directing kids and everyone else to sites that doesn’t work or that have nothing no one wants is such a waste of time. You stink IFPI, but I have a solution that will work.

Hey IFPI go to Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California and drive all your cars at 88 mph straight into a solid rock hard building. That way you can go back to the past and prevent all the file sharing from ever happening. Don’t mind all the blood splattering and bone crushing that you might notice. If 88 mph doesn’t work go even faster. Trust me.

12 May 11, 2008 at 19:10 by nurgle

The IFPI launches a new campaign today in 21 European countries called, “Porn for kids, Let your kids grow up big and hard!” The IFPI also said in the press release that the best way to begin the “Porn for Kids Campaign” is to go download LimeWire, or Kazza so the kids are to be able to pick up new viruses to test your their ability to avoid getting your computer infected. Lets all here it for the IFPI’s “Porn for Kids Campaign”!

13 May 11, 2008 at 19:12 by Mr.Ice

LMAO

“It gets even worse further down the list where the kids end up at sites that sell hardcore adult movies.”

Great Job IFPI ! (Idiots For Policing the Internet) <<< that is so true

14 May 11, 2008 at 19:14 by Anonymous

[quote comment="381834"]The IFPI launches a new campaign today in 21 European countries called, “Porn for kids, Let your kids grow up big and hard!” The IFPI also said in the press release that the best way to begin the “Porn for Kids Campaign” is to go download LimeWire, or Kazza so the kids are to be able to pick up new viruses to test your their ability to avoid getting your computer infected. Lets all here it for the IFPI’s “Porn for Kids Campaign”![/quote]

Hip hip!

15 May 11, 2008 at 19:15 by Why me?

[quote comment="381837"][quote comment="381834"]The IFPI launches a new campaign today in 21 European countries called, “Porn for kids, Let your kids grow up big and hard!” The IFPI also said in the press release that the best way to begin the “Porn for Kids Campaign” is to go download LimeWire, or Kazza so the kids are to be able to pick up new viruses to test your their ability to avoid getting your computer infected. Lets all here it for the IFPI’s “Porn for Kids Campaign”![/quote]

Hip hip![/quote]

Horay!!

16 May 11, 2008 at 19:17 by 1 day old pizza

[quote comment="381839"][quote comment="381837"][quote comment="381834"]The IFPI launches a new campaign today in 21 European countries called, “Porn for kids, Let your kids grow up big and hard!” The IFPI also said in the press release that the best way to begin the “Porn for Kids Campaign” is to go download LimeWire, or Kazza so the kids are to be able to pick up new viruses to test your their ability to avoid getting your computer infected. Lets all here it for the IFPI’s “Porn for Kids Campaign”![/quote]

Hip hip![/quote]

Horay!![/quote]

Hip hip!

17 May 11, 2008 at 19:21 by Feeble minded

[quote comment="381841"][quote comment="381839"][quote comment="381837"][quote comment="381834"]The IFPI launches a new campaign today in 21 European countries called, “Porn for kids, Let your kids grow up big and hard!” The IFPI also said in the press release that the best way to begin the “Porn for Kids Campaign” is to go download LimeWire, or Kazza so the kids are to be able to pick up new viruses to test your their ability to avoid getting your computer infected. Lets all here it for the IFPI’s “Porn for Kids Campaign”![/quote]

Hip hip![/quote]

Horay!![/quote]

Hip hip![/quote]

Jorge!! I mean Horay! Sorry bout the Jorge Posada chant.

18 May 11, 2008 at 19:23 by Konstantin

Hooray!

19 May 11, 2008 at 19:24 by Crandom

I hope this holds up in court when they find I’ve been d/l’ing songs and they sue me where my defence is that they told me to do it!

20 May 11, 2008 at 19:31 by Scotland Yard and a half

Let me see: download crappy music or download some porn. I think I want to learn what sex is now. I like to try the nasty with my pee shooter. I’m just a 9 year old kid who wants to have real fun and not listen to crappy music I don’t like. Hey ladies!! I’m cuming for ya’ll!

21 May 11, 2008 at 19:34 by Yatti

They want to discourage us through the use of malware\spyware..

22 May 11, 2008 at 19:36 by Hyrrokkin

Heh. Reading the leaflet is actually quite fun…
Page 5:
“One of the risks with P2P is that children may come across unwelcome content such as viruses, pornographic or violent images.” — And you’re referring them to?
“P2P software opens “doors” in your computer which may compromise
privacy and security.” - Not if you have a brain
“Some P2P programmes come with extra software, called “spyware”.” - Some websites do too. And who uses “programme” nowadays -.-
(By now I’m just skimming through this… Too stupid)
Page 6: “Download free software on http://www.ifpi.org/dfc/downloads/dfc.html
that will help you identify music files and uninstall P2P software.” - Correction: Download free viruses [...]
Page 7: Okay, this whole page is a joke. If a teacher would start talking about this in class where I live he’d become the laughing stock of the whole damn country. We had a leaflet somewhat like that one distributed a few years ago. I think one of them made it to a home, MAXIMUM.

I pity the people that have to work for this…

23 May 11, 2008 at 19:36 by Fuddy duddy

I think it’s time to sue the ifpi for promoting porn to kids. I can finally make my retirement. Whoo hoo!

24 May 11, 2008 at 19:42 by Spanky da monkey

Hey ifpi have a toast for yourselves for this garbage. And I will make sure your glasses are filled with the finest wine. Oh yeah let me add some white spice (anthrax) to enhance the taste. Cheers!

25 May 11, 2008 at 20:24 by Lol

Why search Radiohead on a dance music site..?

More to the point.. this is just more rubbish that will make kids/people worse with computers by telling them to use the worst forms of getting music -_-

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