Swedish music sales rise post-piracy

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Stacey Vanek-Smith: Anti-piracy laws in Sweden appear to be paying off. Music sales have spiked in that country since a crack-down on illegal file-sharing. Stephen Beard has more.

Stephen Beard: Over the past five years, global musics sales have slumped by a third. But suddenly Sweden has bucked the trend. Sales there have soared, up 18 percent this year.

Two key factors could be at play. Sweden passed a new law earlier this year making it easier to prosecute illegal file-sharing. And a court convicted the operators of the Pirate Bay filesharing site.

Adrian Strain is a record industry spokesman:

Adrian Strain: The combination of those two events, we think, has helped bolster the legitimate music market. And I think that’s quite an important case study for the rest of the world.

He says there’s been a similar development in South Korea. Music sales have also risen there following a crackdown. He says it’s far too soon to call the end of illegal downloading, but Sweden’s experience is encouraging.

In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.