The news that a popular Swedish web service will soon be available in Denmark has come as music to the ears of download fans. Despite attempts by a composers’ union to block it, one of the world’s most popular online music stores, Spotify, will soon give Danish surfers access to more than eight million tracks for as little as 75 kroner (USD 12) a month. Read the full story

As the landmark trial of Swedish file sharing website The Pirate Bay gets underway, representatives of the global entertainment industry have been on something of a publicity campaign to drum up support against what they consider outright theft. Four people involved in the popular website are standing trial for copyright infringement in what could set the precedent for many more cases around the world. Read the full story

Now that Apple has changed its tune and allowed the songs sold through its popular iTunes Shop to be compatible with any MP3 player, a Norwegian consumer watchdog group has dropped its official complaint lodged with the Market Council. In the past, songs purchased and downloaded via iTunes could only be played on one of Apple’s iPods. Read the full story

Much to the elation of the online community but consternation of record labels and movie studios, online file sharing has become more and more widespread.

Downloading so-called ‘torrents’ has become one of the most popular ways to share video and music files online, but Iceland’s biggest torrent download site, www.torrent.is, may soon be shut down after a public hearing took place this week.

Online news site TorrentFreak recently interviewed the head administrator of Torrent.is, Svavar Kjarval, who said, “The plaintiffs are making an outrageous claim. They argue that website and domain owners should always be responsible for copyright violations of third parties. The case could set a dangerous precedent if the court agrees with their claims.”

While Kjarval has distanced himself from the copyright infringement, the Reykjavik District Court is cracking down on people who are distributing knowingly-copyrighted material. Nine individuals recently faced criminal charges relating to file sharing using Direct Connect.

Torrent.is has become the number one sharing site in the country,
and shutting it down would send a strong message to file-share users that their participation comes with the possibility of criminal prosecution.

The Icelandic body that handles artist copyrights wants to see their clients compensated for losses due to sites like Torrent.is – compensation which could top a few million ISK according to executive Snaebjorn Steingrimmson.