A response to Digital Britain from Feargal Sharkey
Our members cannot continue to innovate and invest in the shadow of an illegal peer-to-peer ecosystem. We need the cooperation of all ISPs.
Honestly, good luck with that.
You see, piracy, as defined by the music industry, has existed for decades. Just as technology has made it easier for the industry to operate, it’s also made it easier for individuals to share things without permission of the copyright holder.
The public embraced the new technology. The music industry shunned it.
Now, I’m not saying that the music industry is wrong or the pirates are right. What I am saying is that piracy is a lot older and more widespread than reports often indicate, and it’s not something that’ll go away quickly or easily.
Or, in fact, ever.
Which means that if the dissolution of piracy is a prerequisite for you being able to conduct business, you are utterly, terminally and resoundingly screwed.
Fortunately for the music industry, there are some smart cookies out there. They recognise that not everything is black and white, and that business models need to adapt just as technologies and markets do—just as they have in past technological transitions.
