The British record industry has urged Napster and Apple's iTunes to stop advertising on illegal music download sites, a practice that has also seen brands such as Sky and Barclays appear on pirate internet services.
Napster and iTunes, which offer legal music download services, have placed banner ads on sites that allow members to illegally share music, film and TV shows. Sky, O2, BT Broadband, Easymobile, msn Messenger and Barclays also use these networks to promote their services.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the trade body for UK record companies, described advertising legal music download services on sites that promote illegal file-sharing as a "sick joke".
Steve Redmond, BPI director of communications, said: "We deplore the unauthorised distribution of music on internet sites which prosper by selling advertising on the back of copyright theft. It is hugely ironic that iTunes and Napster, two companies which have done so much to encourage legal downloading, have been caught up in these sites. We urge all companies to be vigilant and put systems in place to ensure they do not advertise on such sites, even unwittingly."
Lawyers have warned that the companies could be risking litigation. Susan Singleton, solicitor with e-commerce lawyers Singletons, and editor of IT Law Today, said: "Copyright on the internet is a very fast moving legal area. Any copyright owner or connected company advertising on an illegal download site is badly advised and taking big legal risks."
Online advertising is the fastest growing marketing medium in history and the UK ad spend is expected to hit £1bn this year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Sky Digital is one of the UK's biggest online advertisers and the appearance of its adverts on illegal download sites comes as its controlling shareholder, News Corporation, seeks to grow legitimate web services.
Sky's ads featured on sites where 20th Century Fox's film, Transporter 2, currently showing in US cinemas, can be downloaded illegally. 20th Century Fox has been seeking to close file-sharing networks through its membership of the Motion Picture Association of America.
Napster, which went live as a legitimate paid-for download service in the UK last year, said it was disappointed its advertising had appeared on pirate web sites. European communications director Mark Howorth said the company had gone to great lengths since its relaunch to protect all rights owners. He stressed it was unacceptable for Napster ads to appear on any illegal websites - including music download sites. "Our advertisements will be removed immediately," he said. Apple's media buyer, Mediabrokers, said one of its suppliers had breached terms and conditions without its knowledge and the iTunes advertisements would be taken down.
