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PhotographyThere are people who bring serious harm to our children, to society, to everybody really. They are responsible for global warming, and they will go to the very special hell – the one that is reserved for people who talk in theatres.
I’m not talking about rapists or mass murderers or people killing dozens of innocents by blowing themselves up. I’m talking about people who illegally download music from the internet. For free!
They …
- … harm the music industry by illegally getting access to CDs and spreading the data on the internet
- … harm the artists – especially young artists – because these sell less CDs, become poor and commit suicide
- … are a very bad lot indeed.
That is why countries like France, Great Britian and Germany (sic!) have implemented or are going to implement a so-called “Three Strikes Rule” – if you get caught doing illegal activities on the internet three times, the state shuts down your internet, and you may not access it anymore. This idea is a completely awesome, and we have seen it employed properly in the middle ages a lot – for instance by chopping of a thief’s hand after he stole three times.
Unfortunately, a scientific study has popped up – god I hate science. Anyway, they kind of questioned a sample of 1.000 British 16- to 50-year-olds, and found that the minority of 100 people who admit downloading music illegally spend £77 a year on music, whereas the other 900 only spend £44.
To sum it up:
People who illegally download music from the internet without paying for it are the music industry’s main clientele, because they are at the same time the very people who buy the most music legally.
And this makes a lot of sense – because people who get to know more music, people who listen to more music are much more likely to find bands they wish to support. And I bet that 90% of the visitors of concerts of bands which are not yet superfamous are people who accidentally, or by recommendation downloaded music of this band before going to the concert.
Peter Bradwell, who is employed at the think-tank Demos, which commissioned the new poll said:
“The latest approach from the Government will not help prop up an ailing music industry. Politicians and music companies need to recognise that the nature of music consumption has changed, and consumers are demanding lower prices and easier access”
Mark Mulligan, Forrester Research:
“The people who file-share are the ones who are interested in music. They use file-sharing as a discovery mechanism.”
(Source: independent.co.uk)
November 3rd, 2009 at 23:17
Are there really still people who illegally download music? That has been way too hot of a thing for the last 3 years, as far as I’m concerned.
And three strikes is ridiculous. Imagine all the parents without internet because their 12-year olds downloaded some short-lived song from the web. I really don’t understand how a common “cut out the middle man” business problem could ever develop into an issue that makes constitutional courts busy.
November 4th, 2009 at 18:19
You just have to be smarter than the hunters. And that is not that hard, if you ask me, especially if you desire music that is not in the middle of mainstream (like Britney, Peter Fox, etc.). While I was informed recently that even Torrent sharing is not safe, there are and will always be ways to share and download music.
The Demos survey was so overdue that one cannot even stress its importance and implications enough. Sadly, the policy-makers and politicians won’t let reality bother them. I can only agree with the results of the survey when I look at my friends and me. There has always been a fair amount of sharing and it was especially those times when most of them (and me) bought a considerable amount of CDs. Some in order to build a collection, have something to grab or for the car radio and mostly to support the artist(s) to continue making good music. Sharing is used to “taste” if the music is fine or not. It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest way that as soon as eMule and common sharing platforms where attacked by law firms, interest and sales went down. In that context (checking before buying & legality), I favor the culture flatrate proposed by activists like the Pirate Party. I am in loose contact though with a manager of a major label and his rants and plans signal only the opposite, as he is in favor of 3S, the prosecution industry and internet surveillance. I have come to the conviction that there are almost no open minds in that business and that it will take some years of possible pressure and hardship, but in the end they will go down the river. You cannot eternally bite the hand that feeds you.
Yet I have not heard that the Three-Strikes-Rule will be implemented in Germany. Where did you get that from?
November 5th, 2009 at 21:52
A couple of German ministers talked about the three strikes rule a bit now and then within the last year. Nothing is sure, but we have to be careful.
Oh well, I’m quite happy about the decision the European Union made today… at least they’re pretending they’re looking after our rights. Can’t find a link at the moment, will update later.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:10
[...] couple of days ago I talked about a study showing that people who illegaly download music on the internet actually also… – which means that if the music industry increases the prosecution of downloading music, they [...]