The noose is tightening around AllofMP3.com, with news emerging London police this month arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion he acted as a proxy for payments made to the retailer.
Credit card companies have already refused to process customer payments to AllofMP3.com, which is facing copyright infringement charges in several countries. But the International Federation for the Phonographic Institute (IFPI) labels umbrella and its British Phonographic Institute (BPI) member group claimed the man was a European agent for the site. The man was selling AllofMP3.com vouchers, providing alternative payment method, on auction sites including eBay and on a website, allofmp3vouchers.co.uk, which has now been shut down, IFPI said. AllofMP3.com consistently claims to be a legal retailer as it is mandated by Russia’s ROMS royalties collection agency, but that body has been expelled by the international copyright society CISAC and no IFPI member labels have authorized ROMS to sell their music.
London’s Metropolitan Police told paidContent computer equipment was seized for inspection; the man was bailed to reappear on August 8 pending further inquiries.