Music industry welcomes Virgin's anti-piracy move

The launch of Virgin's music download subscription service has been welcomed by the music industry.

Music industry groups have welcomed the launch of a new music download subscription service by Virgin Media.

The internet service provider (ISP) announced earlier this month that it had signed a deal with Universal Music to provide the new offering.

It said that for a monthly subscription fee, Virgin Media customers would be able to stream or download as many tracks or albums as they wish from the Universal Music catalogue.

And it confirmed that the aim of the service is to "bring about a rapid and permanent change in the way UK consumers buy and listen to music".

When the announcement was made, only Universal Music had signed up to the service. However, Virgin said it was negotiating with other music labels.

The ISP also confirmed that it would temporarily suspend internet access for those found persistently downloading music from file-sharing sites without paying for it.

Geoff Taylor, the chief executive of the trade association the British Phonographic Industry, has said the proposals stand in sharp contrast to the "digital dithering" displayed by the government in its Digital Britain report.

Indeed, he stated that the Virgin deal proves that a "graduated response" is a "workable way forward" to help tackle the intellectual property issue.

According to Reuters, the Internet Service Providers' Association has also said it hopes Virgin's move will encourage similar agreements between ISPs and copyright holders.

Meanwhile, the Pirate Bay has been bought by Swedish gaming company Global Gaming Factory, which reportedly intends to turn it into a legal download service.