Billy Brag - Do we want ISPs to penalise our fans?

[rectifier]

Having failed miserably in previous attempts to stamp out illicit filesharing, the record industry has now joined forces with other entertainment lobby groups to demand that the government takes action to protect their business model.

Speaking at a joint meeting of the Federation of Entertainment Unions, UK Film Council and Bafta on the future of the creative industries last week, the chairman of the British Phonographic Industry called on the government to take seriously the argument that, in the face of illicit file-sharing, a "write and sue" policy will not be effective, to introduce legislation requiring ISPs to act against persistent unauthorised downloaders and to recognise that the music industry has already transformed its business models online.

Not for the first time, we at the Featured Artist Coalition are forced to question whether the record industry is representing the best interests of artists in calling for such measures.

Stating that a "write and sue" policy will not work is an admission that the current copyright law is no longer fit for purpose in a digital age. The government has pointed out to the BPI that if it wants to crack down on unauthorised file-sharing, the law is already on its side. Fearful of the prospect of dragging their customers though the courts, with all the attendant costs and bad publicity, members of the record industry have come up with a simple, cost-free solution to their problem: get the ISPs to do their dirty work for them. They are asking the government to force the ISPs to cut off the broadband connection of customers who persistently download unauthorised material, without any recourse to appeal in the courts.

Never mind that this is a shameful attempt to pass responsibility on to another sector of industry, the question remains whether or not such measures will have the desired effect. Technology has so far stayed ahead of enforcement. Any unauthorised filesharers who fear being caught out can simply encrypt their exchanges.

Even if this proposal should become law, as recording artists we question the wisdom of pursuing and penalising our potential audience. The people who are doing the most damage to our industry are not the music fans swapping files for no commercial gain – it's the sites that are making money without paying for content that are really ripping us off.

The Pirate Bay had to be closed down, but what about the fans who use such sites to find music they cannot get legally or DRM-free elsewhere? The Featured Artist Coalition is opposed to copyright infringement, but we recognise that, if technology allows people to access music for free, they will take advantage. The next generation of music fans may no longer want to pay for music, but they are still hungry to hear it. The challenge to the industry is to find ways to monetise their behaviour.

The question is, are the major labels too wedded to their old business model to be capable of leading the next generation? It is all very well to claim that they have already transformed their business models online. Evidence suggests otherwise.

Earlier this year, British cable ISP Virgin Media was set to launch a peer-to-peer filesharing service, paid for by subscription. Research had shown that over 80% of the users of Pirate Bay were willing to pay for a similar service. At the 11th hour, the two biggest labels in the UK, Universal and Sony, sank the project by demanding stringent "anti-piracy" controls.

Clearly, some form of P2P subscription service is the way forward, if only because it provides the most convenient way for consumers to access music. Yet for the major labels, the success of such an initiative would mean the end of their control over the distribution of music. Is this the real reason why they seem determined to do everything they can to clip the wings of the fledgling digital industry before it can fly?

Billy Bragg is a board member of the Featured Artists Coalition

from Billy Bragg: Do we really want ISPs to penalise our fans? | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

[Volodia]

Originally Posted by rectifier

filesharing service, paid for by subscription. Research had shown that over 80% of the users of Pirate Bay were willing to pay for a similar service.

Clearly, some form of P2P subscription service is the way forward, if only because it provides the most convenient way for consumers to access music. Comment is free | guardian.co.uk[/url]

If only the users pay , either the revenue will be to low or the price would have to be too high . 30% of people are music customers . Of those not all will be ready to pay . In fact it's just a survey . When confronted with having to pay ,the number will be much lower than 80% . You will never make up for the loss in revenue .
Physical sales still represent more than 80% of the revenue . if you want to "just cut that",we ain't going far .

[spaceman]

Originally Posted by Volodia

If only the users pay , either the revenue will be to low or the price would have to be too high . 30% of people are music customers . Of those not all will be ready to pay . In fact it's just a survey . When confronted with having to pay ,the number will be much lower than 80% . You will never make up for the loss in revenue .
Physical sales still represent more than 80% of the revenue . if you want to "just cut that",we ain't going far .

That's why the best thing to do is to make the ISP's pay, not the public. I mean, one way or another , they will HAVE to participate in resolving this mess. They will do EVERYTHING they can to avoid it, as they are hugely beneficial from the situation, so they should be forced to participate, not asked .

There is a good article on another thread about this :http://www.gearslutz.com/board/music...lobe-mail.html

a small excerpt :

“The people who made the money on Napster were the ISPs like Comcast and Verizon,” said Mr. Barry, the former Napster CEO. “Broadband penetration in the United States more than doubled in the period that Napster was operating. [News Corp. CEO] Rupert Murdoch once said that without Napster, there was no Internet. What he meant was that it was the availability of Napster that drove Internet adoption in the United States.”

Also, there a very revelating french article that proves how ISP's are trying all they can to avoid taking any responsability in this mess, and why they like to see the situation stay the same:
Un FAI : la SACEM doit s'adresser aux distributeurs et éditeurs - PC INpact

They are basically saying : We don't care, get lost...

Anyway, it's weird seeing the british FAC asking for a blanket fee tax, but is it really the opinion of the FAC or just Billy Bragg ?

[triez]

Is someone a fan if they rip you off?

[MikeTSH]

Haha how weird is this! I did an interview for my music on a local radio station last Tuesday, came out and went into the guitar store just outside. Just as I was about to leave, Billy Bragg comes in and I have a 10-15 minute chat with him, he shows me his custom telecaster he was getting re-set up and then wishes me luck on the radio. Was really weird; can't believe I met the bloke by complete chance!!

Time to read the article now

[nightscope]

Originally Posted by rectifier

The Pirate Bay had to be closed down

Still on-line.

ns

[matt thomas]

I love billy bragg

although I don't always agree with his politics

for once I would like to read an objective article on this subject

narco

[TheArchitect]

Originally Posted by spaceman

That's why the best thing to do is to make the ISP's pay, not the public. I mean, one way or another , they will HAVE to participate in resolving this mess. They will do EVERYTHING they can to avoid it, as they are hugely beneficial from the situation, so they should be forced to participate, not asked .

So the ISP's are forced to pay. You know that cost will be passed on to all customers whether they have anything to do with music or not. Gamers use huge amounts of bandwidth and do so quite legally as do most business' conducting business online. (Itunes/ebay/Blizzard/etc)

How are you proposing ISP's/customers pay for just the music portion of the bandwidth they use without punishing other industries who use the internet?

How do you propose we separate illegal file sharing from legitimate use of the net to provide a rough mix to a client?

I suspect the Blizzard's of the world are not going to stand on the sidelines while the music industry tries to force through costs that are going to hurt their business by increasing the cost of doing business with them.


Lets say you do force participation, are the labels prepared to pay for the capital expenses required for the infrastructure to do what you are proposing they do? The ISP's don't need it. The legitimate business users reaching their customers on the net don't need it. They have no business reason for that type of capital investment. Since it would be exclusively to the benefit of the music/film industry and not the general good I would expect them to pony up for those expenses, not the ISP's.

These are all questions/issues that will need to be addressed before such a plan can succeed.

While the internet certainly is a conduit that can be used for illegal activities, it is not the exclusive domain of the music industry. A fact that many people overlook when devising solutions to these problem

[trent]

Originally Posted by triez

Is someone a fan if they rip you off?

Perhaps, but when the record company rips you off more than the 'fan' does then it doesn't really matter does it?

I cant believe Billy Bragg has come out swinging for the globalists!

Anyway its a moot point, In Europe, the 'Telecoms Package' is in its second reading. essentially, this will turn the web into cable TV, your unrestricted access to websites will be gone. Forever. Gone. If I dont select 'your' website when I choose a 'web plan' with my ISP, I cannot view it. I can google it, but I cannot visit your website. Consider this for 10 seconds. This means not only is the middleman returning to reassert control and power over our access to information, Even Gearslutz will lose most of it's revenue from advertising overnight.

So while your all bitching STILL about who phucked the pooch on the music industry, ( Personally, I find P2P music downloading a natural response to rediculous pricing structures on Physical music sales, all to feed an even more pathetic myopic and criminally unbalanced business model which clearly devalued the worth of purchased music in the eyes of the end user) The whole web as we know it is about to get it's nuts cut off.

Seriously, read the Telecoms Package' bill and you will realise the gravity of what this legislation will mean to everyone.
I always buy CD, as mp3's and AAC sound like pure shit

Yeah yeah, free music downloaders suck , But so do arrogant record companies that do the same thing to their artists.

read:
EuropeanCT Zen » Blog Archive » European Internet is under threat - the telecom package side effects

flame away.

[Volodia]

Originally Posted by trent

Perhaps, but when the record company rips you off more than the 'fan' does then it doesn't really matter does it?

How much is more than 100% ?

[rectifier]

"The proposition also makes it possible for Internet service providers (ISP) to decide which web pages users are allowed to visit,[citation needed] potentially limiting access to websites critical of the ISP or the government. ISPs would then sell internet packages, similar to TV packages, allowing access to a limited number of websites.[citation needed] Critics claim this will limit freedom of speech on the Internet."

I can't think of anything other to say other than omfg.

[spaceman]

Originally Posted by trent

Anyway its a moot point, In Europe, the 'Telecoms Package' is in its second reading. essentially, this will turn the web into cable TV, your unrestricted access to websites will be gone. Forever. Gone. If I dont select 'your' website when I choose a 'web plan' with my ISP, I cannot view it. I can google it, but I cannot visit your website. Consider this for 10 seconds. This means not only is the middleman returning to reassert control and power over our access to information, Even Gearslutz will lose most of it's revenue from advertising overnight.
...
read:
EuropeanCT Zen » Blog Archive » European Internet is under threat - the telecom package side effects

flame away.

Just one word : LOL

There's absolutely nothing in the "telecom package" about that. Pure invention by some crazy anarchists...