UK Parliamentary Group Blames Entertainment Industry For File Sharing Problem, Opposes Kicking People Off The Internet

from the good-for-them dept

Mon, Oct 19th 2009 1:44pm — Mike Masnick

More and more opposition is forming to Peter Mandelson's plan to kick accused (not convicted) file sharers off the internet. The latest is that the All Party Parliamentary Communications Group -- a non-partisan group of UK MPs and Lords -- has come out with quite a report damning the idea. It doesn't just bash the idea of such "three strikes" plans to kick people off the internet, but notes that the whole problem really comes from the entertainment industry itself for not adapting or innovating:

We conclude that much of the problem with illegal sharing of copyrighted material has been caused by the rightsholders, and the music industry in particular, being far too slow in getting their act together and making popular legal alternatives available.

We do not believe that disconnecting end users is in the slightest bit consistent with policies that attempt to promote eGovernment, and we recommend that this approach to dealing with illegal file-sharing should not be further considered.

Looks like David Geffen may need to start taking more UK politicians out for dinner...

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Filed Under: all party parliamentary communications group, peter mandelson, three strikes, uk

21 Comments

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Dark Helmet (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 2:00pm

Interesting
Derek Wyatt, Chairman, actually seems like a pretty interesting character, too! From their website:

"Before being elected as an MP, Derek was Director of The Computer Channel at BSkyB and travelled extensively throughout America from mid 1995 to research the internet and to assess its impact. Derek is a leading Parliamentary campaigner on internet-related issues.

On arriving at Westminster he formed the All Party Internet Group (APIG) and remained its Chairman until the merger with apComms in July 2007. APIG won an award for its report on data retention and in 2003 launched a global spam summit. Derek also led several APIG visits to Washington DC to discuss internet issues with US politicians, government officials and industry representatives."

....One has to wonder why he spent so much time traveling and researching the web and internet related issues in a multitude of areas and countries when could have just been told all the right answers over a free meal an a blowjob...
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2009 @ 2:12pm

I read that quite a few of the members of that committee actually have decent knowledge/experience with technology. Too bad that most of the US senators/reps dealing with technology don't.
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jdub (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 2:45pm

"the music industry in particular, being far too slow in getting their act together and making popular legal alternatives available"

BINGO! Talk about hitting the nail on the head!!!
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Rabbit80 (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 2:45pm

It is interesting to see that since Mandys plans, the opposition has now started talking so loudly. In the past few weeks alone we have had ISPs speak out, MPs speak out, musicians are speaking out, etc...

Lets hope the government get the message and give the copyright cartel the middle finger! Perhaps the UK could put itself in a position to lead the way in developing working business models for these industries that don't rely upon fear and criminalising fans.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2009 @ 3:22pm

Blame the rape victim,it's always a good idea.
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- Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2009 @ 3:25pm
  
  Re:
  Indeed. She shouldn't have been in that dark alley by herself in the first place.
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- batch, 19 Oct 2009 @ 3:28pm
  
  Re:
  I blame you for making a bad analogy.
  
  Not doing anything for 10+ years, how is this not the industries fault? We can't hold our breath for dinosaurs to evolve, if we did, we'd be as extinct as they already are.
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- Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2009 @ 3:29pm
  
  Re:
  Your trolling sucks, dude.
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- LumpyDog (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 3:32pm
  
  Re:
  I'd say the music industry's less of a rape victim and more of a hooker who charges you for sex, then wants to charge you every time you think of the sex you had with her.
  
  Oh, and troll much?
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  - Josh (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 5:35pm
    
    Re: Re:
    That's fairly accurate, but I'd say the hooker wants to charge you whenever you think about sex at all, not just with her. Also she gave you STDs.
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- LumpyDog (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 3:33pm
  
  Re:
  I'd say the music industry's less of a rape victim and more of a hooker who charges you for sex, then wants to charge you every time you think of the sex you had with her.
  
  Oh, and troll much?
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- Trails, 19 Oct 2009 @ 4:03pm
  
  Re:
  Holy moly, was that ever out of line.
  
  Comparing rape to filesharing? Wow, just wow.
  
  To any rape victims reading this: I'm sorry I even share the same internet as this douchehole.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2009 @ 4:35pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Yeah, don't the trolls know that file-sharing is TERRORISM, not rape?
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    - Dark Helmet (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 4:53pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      "Yeah, don't the trolls know that file-sharing is TERRORISM, not rape?"
      
      And now, introducing for the 1st time ever, the new term to describe file sharing.....RAPORISM!!!!
      
      What is raporism, you ask?
      
      Well, it's when you share music or movies while violently raping a man or woman, then blowing yourself, them, AND your hard drive up upon climax.
      
      Raporism....got love it....
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      - Josh (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 5:32pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Man, you just made my day.
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Call me Al (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 3:37pm

I was grinning when I first read about this report. I was just amazed to read something sensible and to the point from a group of MPs.

Now watch as the government completely ignored them.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Oct 2009 @ 4:39pm

I saw Mike's mom out to dinner with David Geffen. "Luke I am your father."
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lux (profile), 19 Oct 2009 @ 4:41pm

I agree with this article.

Why is it that Napster was the first to make music file sharing available to the masses, and not the record labels?

Why didn't Sony Music or Universal Music Group (or any other large record company for that matter) come out with the first iTunes-like application, instead of Apple?

Why to this day do I need to use iTunes instead of just going to SunyMusic.com to download it from the horse's mouth?

I just don't understand all the whining and bitching these record labels put on, when they are reaping what they sow, or didn't sow for that matter. They are behind the times, always have been, always will be, and no amount of suing fans or radio stations is going to save them.

Record labels are in their death rattle because they were too stupid to capitalize on their own frigging product.

This is Darwinism in business, and sorry you lose.
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Ryan D, 19 Oct 2009 @ 5:41pm

Yanno.....
You really would think the record labels would have seen the potential much faster. Downloadable MP3s are an infinite good, with very low cost. Its like a hooker, she sells it, shes still got it, she sells it, and shes STILL got it.

They would make less money selling songs on CDs because of the cost of manufacture, and besides, people just put them right onto the computer anyways.

But in reality, common sense? Who even considers it nowadays
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Ben, 20 Oct 2009 @ 12:33am

HOPE IN OUR GOVERNMENT! //////

WOW! A emotion/feeling I thought was completely lost.

To the 'All Party Parliamentary Communications Group' of the United Kingdom, I thank you for realizing that bowing to the media is not the way to go. Reason can perhaps still prevail.

Kudos, I speak for a a lot of people when I say thank you once again.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Oct 2009 @ 6:00am

This thing will not die, though, until Geffen, Mandelson, and their cronies are denied the right of appeal. Permanently. Otherwise they'll just keep find ways to bring it back.
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