Quotes:

"We at the Orchard are very encouraged by the new legitimate download services. These new services are the backbone of our future business plans; they offer the perfect inventory solution and our product is always in stock. For an independent, that is a significant accomplishment."
Scott Cohen, Founder and President, The Orchard
(largest distributor of non-major label music)

"2003 was the year we proved that consumers would pay for digital music - it is absolutely clear there is a market. This has injected a huge confidence-booster to labels, to investors and everyone who is looking at it as a business to get into."
Ed Averdieck, Sales and Marketing Director, OD2
(European online music distributor)

"Our experience as a pan-European ISP tells us that consumers are moving away from the free internet access model, towards the paying model based on high quality connections like broadband. There are parallels to be drawn between this evolution and content distribution. Music fans will also be attracted to quality - and we are combining our strengths with the music industry to supply something which no unauthorised online service can ever provide: a comprehensive, safe, entertaining online music experience."
Sergio Benoni, Head of Music, Tiscali (ISP)

"MSN Music Club is growing in popularity and this is to a large extent due to the increasing number of the very latest A-list releases that are available as digital downloads. This is what large proportions of the online audience want, and it clearly indicates to us that legitimate digital music services will have a mass market."
Geoff Sutton, General Manager, MSN Europe (ISP)

"As a retailer I feel very strongly about the effect internet piracy is having on music stores and their employees in Canada and indeed around the world. Stealing music on the internet is no different from stealing a pair of shoes, and we have to carry this argument to its logical conclusion. The social contract on which our society is based is rooted in respect for the law."
Natalie Lariviere, President and CEO of Groupe Archambault Inc.
(Canadian retailer)

"We at Fnac have the ambition to become a major player in the digital distribution of music. We are convinced that the market is now ready for legitimate download services and there is evidence to support this. However for the market to really take off it is crucial to fight against piracy - largely responsible for the decline in music sales - as well as giving consumers a really attractive and efficient service."
Christophe Cuvillier, Directeur General International et Developpement, Fnac (French retailer)