Media and Press

Musicians unite against disconnection plans, back on YouTube
Tue 15th Sep 09 - 10:27

As featured on Samknows.com, 14th September 2009.

Category: Broadband Issues, Broadband Regulation, Privacy, piracy

While the mainstream media were getting themselves worked up about YouTube and PRS finally coming to a financial settlement, it has emerged a band of bodies representing major musicians is mounting a protest against the Governments recent u-turn on the road towards Digital Britain. The coalition, which the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and Damon Albarn associate themselves with, says the ministers new proposals are extremely negative, expensive and just dont make sense.

The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (Basca), Featured Artists Coalition (BAC) and the Music Producers Guild (MPG) are uniting, arguing theres little support from logic to suggest cutting the Internet connections of persistent file-sharers is a workable solution to online piracy. In doing so, theyve chosen to side with internet service providers, privacy campaigners and a wide variety of politicians from MPs right down to members of the Pirate Party.

Theyve crossed the metaphorical picket line, distancing themselves from the record labels thatve so warmly welcomed the promise of tough new legislation. We cant support these proposals because we dont think it will work, it will cost too much and is far too blunt a tool, says Patrick Racklow, chief executive of Basca.

The problems the music industry faces will not be dealt with effectively through legislation. A statement from the full coalition, seen by The Guardian, echoes his sentiment. The stick is now in danger of being way out of proportion to the carrot, it reads.

The failure of 30,000 US lawsuits against consumers and the cessation of the pursuit of that policy should be demonstration enough that this is not a policy that any future-minded UK government should pursue.

Its estimated that seven million file-sharers could be costing Britains record companies around 200 million per year and they see the tough love approach preached by dark Lord Peter Mandelson very differently. Its the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) that represents them, and its explicitly called the new proposals a step forward. And whats more, they have figures: like that Lady Gagas album was shared 388,000 times within seven days of its release via P2P punchbag The Pirate Bay.

But while battle lines are being drawn in one dispute, a truce has finally been declared in another. After YouTube was forced to remove premium music videos from its catalogue in March, its managed to thrash out a deal with PRS for Music the Produced by Durrants under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA(magazines) or other copyright owner.

It is important that those who are creating music the writers and composers we represent be rewarded when their works are used, says Andrew Shaw, managing director of broadcast and online at PRS. This new licence continues to support musical talent. [It] is an achievement for songwriters, composers and the YouTube community alike and it reinforces the value of our members work.

The deals seen by some as proof the music industry is reaching out towards new distribution models, whatever the current wrangles revolving around peer-to-peer file-trading. This just goes to show how the music industry has changed over the past 15 or so years and emphasises the importance of online outlets to develop new and enhance the profile of existing artists, says entertainment lawyer Steve Kuncewicz of Manchester law firm, Ralli.

But for the record companies to acquiesce on P2P, who knows how long or what it'll take.

Tags: BPI, Digital Britain, file sharing, Mandelson, P2P, piracy, PRS,