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Digital Top Stories
ie boss says DEA is “laughable and unworkable”
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 10 September 2010
ie:music’s Tim Smith, best known for managing a certain Robbie Williams, was pretty clear about his expectations for the Digital Economy Act and the three-strikes anti-piracy system it will introduce at Popkomm yesterday.
According to Billboard, he told the German music business convention: “[The DEA] is laughable and unworkable. It allows ISPs to sit on their hands for longer, knowing they are off the hook. The truth is digital technology has driven a panzer division through copyright law. If 70% of the population are ignoring a law, it’s no longer a law – we have to figure out a new way of working with copyright”.
Although some managers have been advocates of new laws to force internet service providers to tackle piracy – U2 manager Paul McGuinness, in particular – the British management community in general does seem a bit lukewarm towards the copyright provisions in the Digital Economy Act, the lobbying for which was mainly driven by the labels and publishers. Though there is some divide as to whether the solution is a better legislative framework or just accepting the file-sharing battle is one that can’t be won and finding new ways to drive music revenues.
