Warner signs 7digital MP3 deal in Europe

Warner Music has signed a deal with digital media site 7digital.com to provide its catalogue in the MP3 format, which can be played on nearly all music devices. Its catalogue -- with hits from James Blunt and the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- would be available to 7digital.com customers in the UK, Ireland, Spain, France and Germany. The site is the first major European download store to offer Warner's tracks in the DRM-free MP3 format. (Reuters)

Spain Declared European Kings Of Illegal Downloading

Spanish computer users illegally downloaded more than 1.2 billion tracks in 2007, according to authors' and publishers' society SGAE. The European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) says that 58% of all Spanish Internet users illegally downloaded music in 2006 against a European average of 37%. In 2003, the Spanish average was just 48.5%. (Billboard)