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…
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Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…