Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Ban illegal downloaders? More evidence the Government does not understand the Internet
So, the British Government is suggesting that people who download things illegally should have their Internet access cut. Whoopee doo, let's deal with those naughty people. Cracked it. Er...not.
Firstly, people can easily hide their illegal downloads. Even if ISPs could ban people from using their systems, they'd have to find them first - and that is difficult. Secondly, if it were possible to track offending ISP users, there's no guarantee that the person paying the bill is the offender; illegal "piggy backing" on broadband connections is rife - and difficult to stop when so few people take the necessary precautions. And how do you ban people from downloading at public sites, like free Wi-Fi sites?
More troubling, however, is the fact that younger people do not see downloading music as illegal or immoral. They view music as a free resource. They have grown up downloading or "ripping" music. Technically it is illegal, but they don't view it as such. They believe it is their "right" to have music when they want it, without payment.
The music industry doesn't yet realise this and, it seems from the latest notion from Government law makers is that neither do politicians. But then who said those in politics had any notion of the real world?
Here's what's likely to happen. The producers of music - the bands and artistes - will connect directly with their audiences providing free downloads. They will make their money from live gigs and associated product sales, all organised by web-based promoters. The music industry will have largely disappeared - all faster than they think likely. Politicians meanwhile will try to stem the tide of cash away from this "important industry". But they have yet to realise the horse has bolted; dealing with that open stable door is useless.
Labels: future, internet, internet psychology, politics
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Readers' Comments:
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February 13, 2008 1:20 PM 
said…
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February 13, 2008 5:38 PM 
Kat said…
The best way to prevent a large portion of illegal downloads is give people legal ways to download, even for free, where the record industry still gets some compensation. In the marketing industry this is called "ad supported content" and is actually widely accepted by the younger generation. If the ads are relevant, then the media corporations can enjoy impressive revenues too.
At
March 13, 2008 10:19 PM said…
This is a very interesting point about where the money is made in the music industry nowadays.
If you take cd's and legal downloads as an example, the costs of these have been spiralling. On the other hand ticket prices for gigs are now disproportionately expensive (IMO). If you look back at the industry over the years you'll probably find that it used to be the other way round, paying through the nose for the product whilst gigs were peanuts.
You've got to love this Government haven't you?
Last night I got home after my usual 90-minute drive across just 22 miles of woefully inadequate roads (average speed of nearly 15 miles an hour) to find my tax disc renewal had arrived with yet another inflation-busting increase for I don't know how many years in succession.
Then this morning I swerved a number of potholes on my way in to work as I drove along more badly-maintained roads.
Yes, I know, you're wondering where the hell I'm going with this aren't you? My point is this - can't the government just stick to their job? You know, the one they tax us to the hilt for the resources to do?
Do they really think that illegal downloading is the biggest problem facing Britain? What do they think will happen if they "fix" this so-called problem? That the millions of downloaders will instead jump in the car to HMV or fire up their laptops and go straight to iTunes Store and buy music in the same sort of volumes they acquired it in before?
And do they really expect the ISPs to co-operate and dedicate time, money and resource towards cancelling customer accounts and giving money away?
Can't they do something to help voters who've paid taxes all their working lives instead of leaping to the defences of record companies who are missing out mostly due to their own short-sightedness?
If any other organisation or market ripped us off like the current government they would set up a watchdog (at tax payers' expense of course) and regulate the hell out of it.
If you're reading this Gordon, I'd rather have an NHS dentist, better quality roads, cheaper petrol and regular rubbish collection than to know that you're going to persecute someone down the road from me for not paying for music he wouldn't have bought anyway.
Stick to your job and let the record companies fight their own battles.