Omnifone and ISPs to Fight Piracy With Revolutionary MusicStation Next Generation Music Service

Omnifone and ISPs to Fight Piracy With Revolutionary MusicStation Next Generation Music Service

GSMA Mobile World Congress, BARCELONA, February 16/PRNewswire/ -- Omnifone, the world's leading independent unlimited music service provider, today announces MusicStation Next Generation, a revolutionary service which gives broadband users legitimate unlimited access to the world's music on their Mac, PC and set-top box. In partnership with internet service providers (ISPs) and cable companies, the service heralds a new era in home entertainment, delivering unlimited access to both music and music videos direct to a broadband user's living room.

ISPs and cable companies are under increasing national and international governmental pressure to eradicate piracy over their networks. MusicStation Next Generation enables broadband providers rapidly to introduce legal unlimited music services, giving consumers a legitimate alternative to downloading music illegally over peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Omnifone has international licensing agreements in place for unlimited music downloads or streaming with all four major music labels and thousands of independents, providing users with unlimited access to a vast catalogue of music.

The IFPI estimates that illegal peer-to-peer filesharing and music piracy accounted for 95% of music downloads in 2008 with 40 billion tracks downloaded illegally worldwide.* In some European territories, peer-to-peer piracy accounts for as much as 50% of total internet traffic carried by ISPs and cable companies.

In the UK a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the music industry and ISPs to try to resolve the issue of illegal file sharing while industry commentators** think a key underlying theme of the UK Government's interim Digital Britain report published last month, is the push for digital content to be subscription based. Other countries are expected to follow suit, with government pressure to stem the tide of piracy increasing throughout the European Union (EU).

"Tens of millions of European consumers are engaged in music piracy every day. Whilst government pressure is growing, we also need to deliver alternatives that recognise the needs and desires of the YouTube generation," says Rob Lewis, CEO of Omnifone. "With today's announcement, Omnifone is offering consumers something better than piracy. MusicStation Next Generation gives consumers legitimate unlimited access to the world's music, in audio and video format, direct to their living room, through set-top box or personal computer, in partnership with their ISP or cable company. Broadband providers can deliver a better music experience; a legal alternative to piracy that differentiates their consumer proposition."

MusicStation Next Generation music powered services are expected to be bundled with monthly subscriber plans, as well as being offered to existing subscribers on a Pay As You Go (PAYG) basis.

MusicStation Next Generation demonstration at Mobile World Congress

Omnifone will be demonstrating the MusicStation Next Generation service on PC and set-top box for the first time at GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. For a demonstration, please visit Omnifone at Mobile World Congress, Stand C69, Hall 7, Fira de Barcelona, Spain between 16-19/02/2009, or email info@omnifone.com for further details.

*IFPI Digital Music Report 2009

**http://blogs.forrester.com/consumer_product_strategy/2009/01/digital-britain.html

About Omnifone

Omnifone is the world's leading independent provider of unlimited music services for device vendors and mobile carriers including the likes of Sony Ericsson, Vodafone, Telenor and Hutchison Telecom, who are rolling out Omnifone's multi-award winning unlimited music services globally. Omnifone's MusicStation unlimited music download service is live today across four continents. At CES 2009 Omnifone announced a partnership with Gracenote to bring interoperable unlimited music services to multiple device platforms including mobile, PC, in-car and in-home devices. Gracenote's in-car entertainment system with MusicStation unlimited music service won CNET 'Best of CES' Car Tech Award. In 2008 Omnifone won Best Mobile Music Service at the GSMA Global Mobile Awards, Best Mobile Internet Service at the Mobile Industry Awards, the Juniper Research Future Mobile Award's Gold Award for Mobile Music, the Red Herring Global 100 Award and in 2007 the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) Music Service Meffy. The company is based at Island Studios, London with regional HQs in Asia Pacific. http://www.omnifone.com

Source: Omnifone Limited

Media enquiries: Omnifone: Tim Hadley, +44(0)7976410001, thadley@omnifone.com

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Profile: International Entertainment