Various musicians have moved to condemn government plans to force ISP’s to cut the Internet access of people who download free music online.
Music stars, records producers and songwriters have formed a pressure group – the Featured Artists’ Coalition and have released a joint statement with the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and the Music Producers Guild, in which they said they “vehemently oppose” the plans to punish file-sharers. FAC member and Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien said: “It’s going to start a war which they’ll never win.” While fellow member, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, told BBC News: “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.”
Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg also condemned the plans: “We’re concerned that, in an age where there is much greater competition for attention, these proposals are in danger of driving young people away from the idea of listening to music. As musicians, we’re worried about that. We should be encouraging people to become music fans, and whether we like it or not, illicit downloading does encourage people to become music fans.” Ed O’Brien added: “It (plans to cut internet access) won’t work. It’s as simple as that. I was talking to a serial file-sharer the other day, who is a friend. He downloads films and he hasn’t paid for music for six years. I asked his opinion of it and he laughed. He said, ‘even if they cut me off I’ll still be able to do it’. It’s something you do not want to take on, so move on.”
Geoff Taylor, a member of the British Phonographic Industry, said the government should consider “temporary suspension as a last resort, where accounts are repeatedly used illegally despite warnings.” However, the chief executive of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, Patrick Rackow, said he feels there are better ways to deal with file-sharers: “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. There are more positive ways of dealing with this without totally upsetting your consumers. Most people across the music sector recognise the serious damage that illegal file-sharing is doing to investment in new music.”
The plans came to light after a Digital Britain report set the government a target to reduce file-sharing by 70%. The proposals urged Ofcom to consider whether ‘technical measures’, such as reducing broadband speeds or blocking access to download sites, were necessary.