LONDON (Reuters) - German police have filed criminal charges against 3 500 people accused of using the eDonkey file-sharing network to share copyrighted music illegally, the recording industry's trade group said on Tuesday.

The music industry has filed thousands of lawsuits in its fight against online piracy, but criminal prosecutions have been relatively rare. Users could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison if the music files were shared for commercial purposes.

'No one should be surprised that we are stepping up our campaign in this way', said John Kennedy, chairman and chief executive of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. 'Internet piracy has hurt the whole music community in Germany, with legitimate sales falling by a third in just five years.'

Originally by iTNews Australia - Government/Law, 12:06 PM

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