On Wednesday November 26, during the 2008 FICOD conference in Madrid, Spain, the FICOD organisation (The International Forum on Digital Contents, an initiative of the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce) presented a series of awards to companies that it considered outstanding in the development of the online and digital content industry.

We are very proud to announce that Merlin received a FICOD award for "Improving Competition for Independent Music Companies". The award recognises the work that Merlin is doing to enhance the ability of independents to access the online space, and to develop the digital market.

The award was presented by. Sr. D. Miguel Sebastian, Spanish Minister of Industry, Tourism and Trade, who described the FICOD '08 award winners as "the exceptional talents of the digital content industry".

The award was accepted on Merlin's behalf by board member, Mark Kitcatt.

This is an important validation for the work we are doing and we are confident it is the start of a broader recognition of the importance of Merlin at the highest levels.

For more information on FICOD, please see the FICOD website