AND STILL COME THE LAWSUITS

What a wonderful industry it must be to be in - The British Music Industry, beacon of the world. Here in the UK, we buy more records than anywhere else in the world:

Consumers in the UK buy more recorded music per capita than those in any other country, according to figures released this morning by a record industry trade organisation.

The findings in the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Recording Industry in Numbers, 2001 report reveal that the UK accounts for an average four record purchases a year per person.

With such a success rate, you'd have thought the IFPI would have been keen to encourage the other nations to follow the BPI's original response to file-sharing (moaning and stomping and wagging fingers) rather than forcing the BPI to legitimise the RIAA approach of punitive lawsuits.

You might also notice these figures date back to 2001, when, supposedly, Napster was crushing the life out of the entire industry.

music ifpi bpi riaa