Lord Mandelson slams illegal file-sharing (again)
As the debate around file-sharing and the UK government’s proposed anti-piracy legislation continues to swirl, business secretary Lord Mandelson has jumped back into the discussion, during a visit to the BRIT School in Croydon.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Mandelson cited Spotify and Vodafone’s DRM-free music store as examples of the commercial innovation required to provide alternatives to piracy.
Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw chimed in, too. “Unlawful file sharing 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.”
Obligatory nit-pick: there’s still plenty of debate around who exactly these new business models work for best. Witness artists complaining about their Spotify royalties…
Tags: lord mandelson, spotify
September 27th, 2009 at 7:29 am
He keeps saying it..but we will always rules.
September 27th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Lord Mandelson can always slam the file sharing again and again but this file sharing thing will not be stop.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
[...] Lord Mandelson and Ben Bradshaw have spoken on piracy again today with Mandy saying downloading for free: ‘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,’ and Ben Bradshaw adding ‘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’ more HERE. [...]
November 8th, 2009 at 7:36 am
[...] [...]