March 30 (Bloomberg) -- A group of record companies including EMI Group Plc and BMG said it started legal actions against 247 people in four countries for illegally swapping songs over the Internet, extending the legal fight against online piracy outside of the U.S.
More than 120 people in Denmark, 68 in Germany, 30 in Italy and 29 in Canada face lawsuits for alleged illegal sharing of songs, said Jay Berman, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a London-based industry group.
``It's the start an international campaign, a logical step in the fight against piracy,'' Berman said on a conference call. ``No one should be surprised by this action and the fact that there is more to come.''
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