According to The Guardian, which obtained a confidential document under the Freedom of Information Act from free speech campaigners Open Rights Group, lobbying groups claim search engines like Google and Bing make it "much more difficult" for people to find legally-obtainable music online.

The document has asked the government to create a body to remove illegal websites from internet search engine results, and was made to culture minister Ed Vaizey in November last year.

It was submitted on behalf of the following entities: the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the UK body for the music majors, the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the Premier League, the Publishers Association and the Pact, the film and TV independent producers' trade body.

"Consumers rely on search engines to find and access entertainment content and they play a vital role in the UK digital economy," the rights holders state. "At present, consumer searching for digital copies of copyright entertainment content are directed overwhelmingly to illegal sites and services."

A spokesperson for Google said it takes the fight against online piracy very seriously.


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Via: The Guardian