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RIAA Announces Master Ringtone Sales Award; Bainwol Claims File-Sharing "Contained"
June 14, 2006 at 1:23 PM (PT)
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The RIAA today announced the formal launch of a Master Ringtone Sales Award, updating its 47-year old Gold and Platinum program to now recognize sales of ringtones. Following the lead of the existing program, tracks will be certified Gold (500,000 downloads), Platinum (1 million downloads) and Multi-Platinum (starting at 2 million and following in increments of 1 million thereafter). Some 128 titles (84 Gold, 40 Platinum and four Multi-Platinum) are included in the inaugural group of certifications.
Commented TIAA Chairman and CEO MITCH BAINWOL, "Our Gold and Platinum Program is designed to honor artists who have achieved the highest success. As our industry evolves and offers fans new ways to enjoy music from today’s best artists, so too should the G&P Program. The music community, along with its technology partners like the wireless communications companies, is offering fans the music they love, when then want it and how they want it."
In other RIAA-related news, BAINWOL has gone on the record as saying that the illegal file-swapping of music online is now "contained." BAINWOL made the optimistic proclamation in an interview with USA TODAY, saying, "The problem has not been eliminated, but we believe digital downloads have emerged into a growing, thriving business, and file-trading is flat."
Despite BAINWOL's assertion, BigChampagne CEO ERIC GARLAND states in the same interview that "Nearly 10 million people are online, swapping media, at any given time." That MAY figure is up from 8.7 million people in 2005, said GARLAND, who did add that the RIAA "have removed the profiteers from online piracy ... [and] embarked on a very successful education campaign."
Check out the interview for yourself by clicking here.

