Hackers attack Czech IFPI branch

Prague, Feb 13 (CTK) - The web page of the Czech branch of the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) was this morning attacked by unknown hackers who damaged its operation, head of the Czech IFPI Petra Zikovska has told CTK.

Zikovska said the attack was likely to be connected with the ACTA anti-counterfeiting treaty.

After the attack, the web page www.ifpi.cz had a modified form and was not fully operational, Zikovska said.

Besides, the Anonymous hackers' group published the data base of Czech IFPI clients on the Internet this evening.

"I can confirm that our web page was for the second time attacked by hackers. It happened for the first time when we published our position on the ACTA," Zikovska said.

Anonymous said in its statement yesterday that Zikovska "is misleading the wide public with inaccurate, erroneous and false information on the ACTA and the phonographic industry in general."

Anonymous said it had asked her to apologise and to rectify the affair. As she failed to do so, the group published the names and addresses of Czech clients of IFPI.

"Our staff are working on the elimination of the problem," Zikovska said, adding that the Czech IFPI branch had passed the documents relating to these hackers's attacks to the police.

The Anonymous hackers, a free association of people who join some form of Internet activism, are attacking various offices' websites in other countries, too, in protest against the ACTA.

In February, the web pages of the government, the Chamber of Deputies and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) have been attacked over the ACTA.

IFPI associates main music publishers. Members of the Czech IFPI branch have about a 91-93 percent share on the Czech market.