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Political types speak on P2P
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 25 September 2009
And so back to the political types. The aforementioned Peter Mandelson, and Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw, both spoke on the file-sharing debate while visiting the BRIT School in Croydon yesterday.
According to Music Week, Mandelson insisted his department was still primarily pro the development of new business models that engage young music consumers, but that he thought the threat of net suspension, as a last resort against those who continue to file-share, was necessary to enable those new business models to prosper.
He said this: “Downloading somebody’s work without paying for it – whether it be music, film or computer games – is not a victimless act. It poses a genuine threat to our creative industries and to the livelihoods of talented, hard-working people striving to get a foothold in them. It’s essential that the voice of young artists is also heard. In the end this problem will be solved not simply by new laws but by new approaches to doing business. We believe that temporary account suspension as a last resort, in the most serious cases, is worth considering to allow these new business models to develop”.
Bradshaw, meanwhile, added: “If we want the next generation of musicians, filmmakers, developers or designers to succeed, we need to address urgently this threat to the sustainability of our creative industries. Unlawful filesharing costs businesses that invest in new talent millions each year. Tomorrow’s stars are born digital. We need the industry to match their ingenuity and devise new business models that work in the digital age. It is right that artists are rewarded for the time, energy and creativity they invest in producing something the public wants. And if we are to retain our creative edge in the long term and enjoy the cultural benefits that brings, we need innovation to allow that talent to shine”.
