MIPI drops piracy moniker

The Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) group has renamed tself Music Rights Australia in a bid to highlight its focus on "advocacy, education and protection" of copyright.

General manager Vanessa Hutley told iTnews today that the new name was designed to give the public a broader perspective on its operations and goals.

MIPI has previously advocated the development of an anti-piracy industry code of conduct like that being discussed by the Attorney-General's Department, the Communications Alliance, AFACT and iiNet.

Hutley, who was formerly Microsoft's director of intellectual property, said Music Rights Australia welcomed the Australian Government's support of the international ACTA anti-piracy treaty.

Although the treaty was rejected by the EU's international trade committee overnight, Hutley said Music Rights Australia hoped to see it ratified in Australia as soon as possible.

New-look website

Along with the name change, Music Rights Australia has redesigned its website, highlighting its tag line of "ensuring Australian Artists get a Fair Go".

The website offers resources for stakeholders and the wider public, in the form of questions and answers and a "report a pirate" button.

It includes just under 30 fact sheets covering issues as diverse as Jukebox and Karaoke Code of conduct, importation of CDs, Background music, Buying Music on eBay, sampling music and playing music in a fitness class.

Music Rights Australia was a joint venture of the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society Limited (AMCOS).

It represents over 2,000 songwriters and music publishers and more than 125 record labels, both independent and major.