John Styll of the GMA denounces digital music piracy.

THE PRESIDENT of America's Gospel Music Association, John Styll, has spoken out against digital music piracy. In a major article in Christian Retailing magazine Styll wrote, "There is one overwhelming factor in the significant drop in music sales at Christian retail outlets - illegal downloading and its ugly cousin, CD burning. This troubling development hit the overall music industry earlier and faster than the gospel community. But there is now no question that our consumers are practising this illegal activity at a level that has impacted our industry.

"We can no longer rest on our morals, naively hoping that Christian consumers would practise the seventh commandment. We must face the fact that many of them do steal music - particularly teens and young adults. And, if we hope for our music industry to survive, we must find a way to combat illegal distribution. It's a battle that will require help on all fronts, including retailers."