A man from Denmark is on trial after allegedly profiting over £500,000 by fraudulently generating plays across music streaming services. The man is being accused of creating “fake” streams on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music between 2013 and 2019. Prosecutors believe that the number of streams needed to generate the sum of money couldn’t have been made via real users, but instead by “unauthorised techniques”. The trial, which is taking place in Aarhus, is claimed to be the “first of its kind”.
If the defendant is found guilty, they will face a fine, prison sentence, and the confiscation of royalties. The defendant’s lawyer, Henrik Garlik, has said that he believes that such a case, regarding matters which the prosecution believes to be data fraud in connection with playbacks of musical works via various tendering services, has never been tried in court. A verdict is expected on February 27.
The chair and vice-chair of Autor, a Danish association for composers, songwriters, lyricists, and producers, have said that this case is one of a kind, not only within Denmark but globally. The scale of streaming numbers has not been seen before. To generate one million kroner in royalties, a track would need to be streamed 20 million times and be entirely owned by the artist. According to the representatives from Autor, they don’t know how the defendant generated so many streams, but it could have been done with a computer program or many devices like phones that are set to play the same songs on repeat.
While it is unknown how the defendant generated so many streams, if found guilty, the case could set a precedent and protect the rights to the music that composers and songwriters have written. It is possible that both the defendant and prosecution will appeal the verdict to the high court
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