Record companies act against prominent streaming manipulation site in Germany

18 August 2024 - Press release

Illegal service liable for damages to impacted record companies

 

A court has ordered an injunction against streaming manipulation service Pimpyourfollower.de, following successful legal action coordinated by IFPI, the organisation that represents the recording industry worldwide, and BVMI, its national group in Germany, on behalf of their record company members.

The Düsseldorf Regional Court has issued a decision banning the illegal service from offering its users the ability to purchase artificial plays, views, likes and followers on various online media platforms including Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

In a global first, Pimpyourfollower.de has also been found in principle liable for damages due to the record labels that brought the case. 

Victoria Oakley, CEO, IFPI said: “There is no place for streaming manipulation in the music industry. It’s a fraudulent practice and those who engage in it, or support it, should not be allowed to divert revenue away from creators or distort music fans’ experience of listening to and supporting artists. We continue to work on behalf of our member record labels to prevent this activity and hope that this new success in Germany sends a clear message to those who continue to offer these damaging services.”

Dr. Florian Drücke, Chairman & CEO, BVMI said: “Streaming manipulation is unacceptable because it distorts competition to the detriment of artists and those who invest in them. It can also affect the reliability of the charts, which are a key indicator of success for our industry and an important reference point for fans. Ultimately, it undermines the credibility of the digital market. The BVMI and its member labels have been successfully taking legal action against manipulation services for years in order to consistently curb distortions in the streaming business. For this reason, we recently launched our streaming anomaly detection approach (SAD) together with GfK and the Vienna University of Economics and Business as an additional element.”

This is the latest in a series of actions being taken against manipulation services in Germany.  Last October, BVMI and IFPI succeeded in getting the German streaming manipulation service SP-Onlinepromotion.com taken offline after a successful warning letter. Since 2020, the organisations have obtained preliminary injunctions against six different streaming manipulation services.

The music industry has also pursued successful civil and/or criminal actions elsewhere, including in Canada and Brazil, and is working with government agencies and intermediaries in various countries to disrupt the operation of such services.