Geoff Taylor joins IFPI as General Counsel and Executive Vice President

London, 11 October 2005

Leading music industry lawyer Geoff Taylor is to join IFPI as General Counsel and Executive Vice-President.

Reporting to Chairman John Kennedy, Taylor will oversee the litigation and licensing activities of IFPI on behalf of its record company members worldwide. He will also be responsible for IFPI's internet anti-piracy strategy and regulatory matters.

Geoff Taylor moves to IFPI from its UK sister organisation, the BPI. There, as General Counsel since June 2004, he headed the BPI's well-publicised litigation programme against illegal file-sharing, led the BPI's negotiations and Copyright Tribunal reference on online publishing royalties and directed legal policy issues.

Taylor has a wealth of international experience in copyright and music industry issues. At IFPI between 1997 and 2004, latterly as Deputy General Counsel and Director of Litigation and Regulatory Affairs, he managed a series of successful anti-piracy litigation actions in different jurisdictions and was the international record industry's principal legal adviser on anti-trust matters.

Before joining the record industry, Taylor specialised in EU and competition law as an associate at the US law firm Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering in Brussels. He began his career as a private practice lawyer in London.

Taylor takes up his position at IFPI in December. He succeeds Allen Dixon, who resigned in July to return to private practice and start a new consulting firm dealing in intellectual property and technology issues.

The BPI will announce its appointment of a successor to Taylor in the near future.

IFPI Chairman and CEO John Kennedy said: "Geoff Taylor has proved a highly effective legal strategist with an almost unrivalled expertise in music industry litigation and licensing issues. His combination of national and international experience will be a great benefit to IFPI, as will his sheer zest for results. I am delighted that, having played a leading role in the numerous successes of the BPI over the last year, Geoff has decided to return to IFPI in a role that matches his abilities".

Geoff Taylor said: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to help the recording industry shape its future strategy at international level. The industry has made great progress in the last couple of years by taking a firm stance on its right be paid for the music that it creates. I am a firm believer in the value of music and I look forward to pressing that case around the world for IFPI".

For further information contact Adrian Strain, Julie Harari or Fiona Harley
Tel. 0207 878 7935