Music Stars Speak Out About Government Anti-Piracy Plans
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Written by Saard
Music stars, songwriters and producers have collectively given the finger to the British government’s new plan to ban persistent music sharers from the internet.
The Government’s Digital Britain report stated its aim was to reduce file-sharing by 70% in the first year. In a move that has commentators speculating on exactly how far the government will bend over and spread ‘em for big business, some of the proposed methods include suspending the Internet accounts of repeat file-sharers or to release their identities making it easier for them to be sued. Cheers, the government.
Figures from the music industry have spoken out against the plan. Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien, a member of the Featured Artists' Coalition, told the press: "It's going to start a war which they'll never win." The FAC itself issued a statement saying "heavy-handed" tactics may turn fans away from music for good.
The Featured Artists’ Coalition (FAC) has teamed up with the Music Producers guild (MPG) and the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. (BASCA) The three powerfully acronymed organizations of music-makers said they "vehemently oppose" the government’s new plans.
Blur Drummer Dave Rowntree, told the BBC that the FAC was against file-sharing, but that previous attempts at legal action had turned fans against the music industry and the artists themselves. "We don't want to make enemies of our fans. The sensible thing to do is to try to see how we can monetise all this file-sharing activity, which is evidence of a lot of interest in music."
Billy Bragg, also a member of the FAC, said that he had many new fans now because of file sharing and the money can come from other means, such as buying gig tickets. Yes! Good idea, Billy! This one’s for you, baby! Click here for billy bragg tickets.
This however is a marked contrast to the stance of major record labels and various commercial parts of the industry, who have welcomed the suggestions. Since the onset of file-sharing software, they haven’t been able to afford their second and third homes in sunny places.
The timescale for action in the government report gives Offcom, the media regulator, up until 2012 (the same date the government has announced for getting broadband in all UK homes) to decided whether measures such as reducing broadband speeds or stopping Internet access altogether are the appropriate ones. In other words, to decide exactly how much they can get away with.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills considers 2012 too long to wait and Stephen Timms, minister for Digital Britain, recently threw his toys out of the pram, saying that the delays in the plans could impact unfairly upon rights holders, namely the record labels. This is despite the UK's Intellectual Property minister David Lammy saying in January that the government will not force internet service providers to pursue file sharers. Go figure.
Meanwhile, UK Music, which represents the British music industry, told press it was pleased with the plans, calling them "proportionate action". Its spokesperson then slipped back into the netherworld to torture the souls of illegal file sharers past with endless loops of ‘What an Atmosphere’ by Russ Abbott.
Internet Service providers are unhappy with the government’s proposals, feeling it would be bad for business. UK ISP Talk Talk said the recommendations might "breach fundamental rights" and simply wouldn’t work. Virgin (in something of a turnaround given their recent policy of sending letters to illegal fine-sharers, threatening to cut them off. Yep. Go figure.) said that "persuasion not coercion" was what was needed in the fight to halt the 6.5 million file-sharers in the UK. Concerns were raised about the effectiveness of cutting off a file sharer given the ease with which they could reconnect to the net, along with the fear that those sharing a connection could be unfairly penalized.
We asked Buckingham Palace for a comment on the illegal file-sharing situation. The Queen declined to comment, but Prince Phillip said "Illegal immigrants? Shoot the blighters! That’s what I say! They’re all funny-looking anyway." He didn’t really, we made that up.
Patrick Rackow, chief executive of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, told the BBC that sanctions would upset fans rather than driving them towards legal services.
"The industry has to look forwards, not backwards," he said. "There is a huge problem here and we've got to find a solution to it. I don't know what this solution is, I don't think anyone does." He went on to suggest that the future of legal music download services could be with subscripted or advertised radio or with services such as Spotify or We7.
This seems like a good idea, if unobtrusive..
...adverts can help fund music, go for it.
The debate continues...
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Music stars, songwriters and producers have collectively given the finger to the British government’s new plan to ban persistent music sharers from the internet.
