IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 11, 2007

SafeMedia News Center 


Eddie Money: “If you truly like music, don’t steal it.”

Benny Mardones: "Illegal music downloads is a problem."

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“Internet piracy of music and movies can be the kiss of death for both industries,”
Actor Timothy Woodward Jr.,  “Grand Strand”

 

  Hollywood, CA— Rock legend Eddie Money has joined with other musicians and stars of the new teen music TV drama, “Grand Strand,” in a campaign against illegal Internet filesharing of music and movies.

  Studies show that more than $2 billion worth of music and more than $20 billion worth of movie content was downloaded illegally last year.

  "Music piracy is illegal and extremely detrimental to all of those who make a living creating original musical works," said Money, whose new Warrior Records CD, “Wanna Go Back,” was released in March. "If you truly like music, don't steal it. Support the industry by downloading your music legally."

  Money is currently on tour promoting his new CD.

  “Downloading or distribution of unauthorized copies of intellectual property such as movies, television, music, games and software programs via the Internet is costing production companies millions of dollars,” said Actor Timothy Woodward Jr., co-star of “Grand Strand,” being filmed in Wilmington, N.C., this summer and marketed by Reveille International – which produces hit shows such as “Ugly Betty” and “House.”

  SafeMedia Corporation, based in Boca Raton, Fla., has developed technology -- “SafeMedia’s ‘Clouseau®’” -- that makes it impossible to send or receive illegal Peer-2-Peer transmissions or file sharing.

  SafeMedia CEO & President Safwat Fahmy, who created “Clouseau,” has submitted testimony to Congress describing his company’s global “P2P Disaggregator” (P2PD) technology, which examines incoming and outgoing packets of information and destroys illegal P2P, while allowing legal P2P to reach its intended destination.

  “The technology moves through multi-layered encryptions, analyzes network patterns and updates itself frequently,” said Fahmy. “The packet examinations are noninvasive and foolproof. Clouseau prevents the illegal back and forth flow of copyrighted files like you would find through LimeWire, Morpheus or eMule.”

  The technology is offered globally in support of a variety of local, national and international bandwidth and customer requirements.

  IFPI, an umbrella organization representing the international recording industry, has estimated that 20 billion songs were illegally swapped or downloaded in 2005. The market research firm NDP Group reported that illegal music downloads jumped 47 percent between 2005 and 2006.

"If retailers and artists do not offer music consumers what they want, when they want it, they will turn to other resources, such as illegal P2P sites," said Benny Mardones, American pop singer and songwriter, who's on tour promoting his new CD entitled, "Lets Hear It For Love." I want better control of the distribution of my music, so everyone gets paid in a fair way. It's nice to know there is technology out there like SafeMedia, which will help us with the problem of illegal music downloads."

Mardonnes, who is best known for his hit single "Into the Night," which hit the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart twice, in 1980 and again in 1989. Also, according to Wikipedia.com, The story behind "Into the Night" charting twice is this: In 1989, KZZP, a radio station in Arizona, ran a segment titled "Where Are They Now?" The most popular question was, 'Whatever happened to the guy who sang "Into The Night?"' Scott Shannon, then program director for Pirate Radio in Los Angeles, added "Into The Night" to its play list. Radio stations across the country followed suit and "Into The Night" was once again a hit.

  Movie piracy costs U.S. industries $20.5 billion per year, thwarts the creation of 140,000 jobs and accounts for more than $800 million in lost tax revenue, the Institute for Policy Innovation reported in 2006. 

    [Editors: For more information about SafeMedia Corp. visit their website at www.SafeMedia.com or blog at http://SafeMediaCorp.Blogspot.com]      

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