Reaction by Jay Berman, IFPI to Europe's Digital Download Day

"IFPI welcomes all new legitimate music services, and European Digital Download Day is an excellent showcase for the growing legitimate online music business in Europe. It is also a useful step in the fight against global online music piracy. Record companies in Europe are now providing many tens of thousands of tracks for consumers to buy - and that undoubtedly puts our industry in a better position to fight back against music theft on the internet."

The initiative has been welcomed by IFPI as playing a key role in highlighting the range of legitimate online services now on offer to consumers.

Starting on March 21, DDD Europe will offer consumers in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK and The Netherlands five euros of free tracks in a bid to draw their attention to where and how to download legal digital music.

Today's announcement by OD2, made at Midem in Cannes, France this afternoon, follows on from the successful pilot initiative in the UK in October 2002.

For further information on the OD2 initiative, please contact
Elaine Marshall on +44 (0)776 0178150 (elaine@connors.com) or
Simon Hill on +44 (0)777 6251192 (simon@connors.com).