With the legitimacy of file-swapping technology yet to be tested in Australian courts, the music industry gathered in Sydney yesterday to discuss new technology and the future of music.

Given the recent purchase of Kazaa by a group of investors based in Sydney, the recording industry in Australia took the opportunity to signal it is prepared to fight copyright infringement on every front.

Leading the charge was the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) CEO Stephen Peach, who encouraged the industry to embrace the Internet and seek out the marketing opportunities it represents.

-The popularity of Napster should be a sign of the level of interest the public has in obtaining music via the Internet," Peach said. -The industry has to come to grips with the fact that these new technologies are not going to go away."

However, there was no indication of any softening with regards to file-swapping technologies, and the companies which provide them. Allen Dixon, general counsel and executive director of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) attributed US$1.2 billion in lost revenue to traditional and digital piracy.

-Traditional piracy has not gone away," Dixon said. -Now we are seeing a series of business models where copying music is what the services is for, and everybody gets paid except for the music industry."

In signalling the industry's preparation to embrace new technologies, Dixon referred to sites such as PressPlay, and wiredentertainment.com.

-We also need to work with the public and make them understand that their favourite artists are getting hurt by this," Dixon said, alluding to campaigns in New Zealand and Taiwan, in which popular artists have spoken out against music piracy. -Our research shows that people who are downloading music from the Net are burning their own CDs and buying less music."

Dixon emphasised the importance of legal frameworks which allow for the enforcement of copyright and the prosecution of those found to be infringing the law, pointing out that in many cases current laws do not extend to the Internet.

Jeremy Banks, unit manager for Internet anti-piracy at the IFPI, signalled the group would continue in its efforts to promote the -legal music economy", through strategic litigation and a policy of quick and efficient take-down working in conjunction with ISPs.

-For our approach to be effective it has to be a global strategy," Banks said. -When a page of 20 links could lead to 20 different countries, we need people with local expertise who can be effective on that level."

Banks pointed out the industry would not merely be turning to litigation as a solution to the proliferation of the Internet borne piracy, but would also aim to use technology to defend the interests of artists and record companies.

-We will be looking at releasing another product like 'songbird', which allows artists to look through the sites to find out if any of their material is being offered online," Banks said. -We need to ensure we understand the technology in order to take the next step."

Copyright © 2009 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All Rights Reserved.
ZDNET is a registered service mark of CBS Interactive. ZDNET Logo is a service mark of CBS Interactive.