The charity Oxfam is to enlist music downloaders -- a group once regarded by record company executives as "thieves" and "freeloaders" -- to help it fight poverty and remove world trade imbalances. On May 26, Oxfam launched a music download service at http://www.bignoisemusic.com. Ten pence from each song sold will go to the group's charity efforts to fight poverty and raise funds for humanitarian aid. Oxfam has joined forces with the country's largest digital music firm OD2 to sell downloads ranging from 75 to 99 pence per track. The service will be made available to music fans across Europe, but songs will be priced in pence. "Music lovers get great tracks and artists see their music helping some of the poorest people in the world through real cash support," Adrian Lovett, Oxfam's director of campaigns and communications, said in a statement. But the charity is entering a brutally competitive digital download market. Last week, Napster launched in Britain and Apple Computer's wildly popular iTunes is expected to make its European debut in the coming months. Until now, commercial music download services have been the domain of retailers and technology companies looking to crack a small but promising market for selling music over the Internet. Earlier this year, soft drink giant Coca-Cola Inc. launched a download service in Britain as part of a marketing effort to connect its brand with hip and tech-savvy teens. Oxfam's offering is believed to be the first time digital downloads will be used in a fundraising charity effort. The Oxfam online service will launch with a library of 300,000 songs. Artists include Coldplay and George Michael. Source: Reuters