Legal downloads skyrocket in Sweden after new law

air-guitarSales of music through the Internet and mobile phones in Sweden have increased by an unprecedented 100 percent in the few days since the new Swedish anti-file sharing law went into effect. Known as the IPRED law, the controversial legislation was the result of the landmark Pirate Bay trial that recently concluded.

The Local newspaper reports that the company InProdicon is one of Sweden’s main legal file download companies. It provides around half of all downloaded music purchased within Sweden through its online and mobile phone services in conjunction with clients such as Telia, Tele2, Ahlens and MTV.

“The first week after the introduction of IPRED, sales increased by 100 percent compared to the previous weeks. I don’t know if this is only because of IPRED, but it is definitely a sign of a major change,” said InProdicon’s managing director Klas Brannstrom.

Although InProdicon declined to state exactly how many songs had been legally downloaded since the IPRED law went into effect, industry analysts say that legal downloading in general is experiencing a sustained boost. Around 60 percent of the music being downloaded is Swedish – a clear boost for Swedish artists.

“We have seen a clear sales increase compared to last year. There has been a 20-30 percent increase on an annual basis, but sales fluctuate a bit depending on which artists are launching new albums,” Brannstrom commented, adding that the increased use of online downloading may be because digital stores have a much bigger selection of music than conventional music shops.

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