OFT TO CHART COMPANY: CARRY ON

Unsurprisingly, the Office of Fair Trading has decided, after listening to the complaints of the indie sector that the terms on which the physical sales and downloads sales charts have been merged is unfair, that there is no case to answer.

The OFT spokeswoman said the file on the combined chart was now closed.

She said: "Based on the information provided, we do not have reasonable grounds to suspect that the Competition Act 1998 has been infringed by the decision by OCC or OCC's shareholders to launch a combined physical and download chart now, in the present form."

So, that's alright then. Let's not hear any suggestion that the main part of the OFT's remit is to ensure that status quos are upheld. That would be uncharitable.

music charts downloads OFT