Allofmp3 boss escapes jail

 

Gallery

By Simon Aughton

Posted on 16 Aug 2007 at 11:48

The boss of erstwhile music service Allofmp3.com has been cleared of copyright violation.

A Moscow court absolved Denis Kvasov of charges that could have landed him in prison for three years while faced with a £280,000 damages bill. Kvasov's MediaServices company owned the controversial Russian downloads store, which was closed down by the country's government in July.

Judge Yekaterina Sharapova lambasted the prosecution for doing a "sloppy job...in collecting and analysing the facts".

The music industry's local spokesman, Igor Pozhitkov from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), said that he was "very disappointed" by the verdict.