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It's all about the money...

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The trials and tribulations of the Pirate Bay have been inescapable this week (and there's even more on that after the jump), as has an unhealthy obsession with money.

Below you'll find a "wrinkly" rich list, global music sales figures and, to kick-off, what is probably Simon Cowell's biggest banker this year…

1. Britain's Got YouTube Hits

So the entire world's gone nuts about a Scottish crooner called Susan Boyle after she walked onstage in front of Simon Cowell on Britain's Got Talent (looking, well… not entirely blessed with traditional popstar features) and sang a very nice rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables. She's since had 786 billion hits on YouTube. Watch it here. Oh, you've already seen it. Twice.

2. Global music sales down 8% - depression on the up, then?

2008's global music sales fell by more than 8% to $18.42 billion (£12.67 billion). CD and vinyl sales dropped a whopping 31% in the US (15% globally) and while digital downloads are on the up, the 24% didn't make up the shortfall.

This is, apparently down to the fact that downloads cost less and people tend not to buy entire albums online, as the Official Charts Company's figures show: "10.3m albums were downloaded in the UK last year, compared to 110.3m singles, or individual tracks." Oh, and people are still sharing music illegally, of course…

3. Pirate Bay founders claim 'mistrial', demand retrial

Following the jail sentence and the 'massive BitTorrent exodus' that ensued, it turns out the judge in charge of the case, Tomas Norström, is a member of several copyright protection organisations and therefore biased. Lawyers representing the Pirate Bay's founders have appealed for a retrial.

Next page: wrinkly rockers, rich lists, Korn and Calvin Harris

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