Answered by Matt Phillips
There are a number of different approaches that the industry has taken. The industry’s not sitting around doing nothing about illegal downloading. This industry is extremely forward looking in terms of... Show more »There are a number of different approaches that the industry has taken. The industry’s not sitting around doing nothing about illegal downloading. This industry is extremely forward looking in terms of embracing new digital models, embracing change, developing new revenue streams and working with artists to create new models. That’s what it’s done in the past; the industry has continually reinvented itself through technology, whether it’s the arrival of radio, the invention of the cassette, the CD.
Now, the industry’s distribution problems are solved, because you’re one click away from hearing to buying, and that could be the most revolutionary thing that’s ever happened to music. It could bring about enormous growth for the creative industries in general, in that distribution is no longer confined to physical product. In this sense the industry has a great deal going for it.
The Problem is the availability of music for free, illegally, on the internet. So what we have to do is appeal to consumer’s hearts and minds, so it’s about consumer education. It’s about making people understand what’s legal and what’s illegal. So we have a big education job on our hands.
Then of course we have to control the availability of free music. If there was no store detectives shoplifting would be higher, if there were no barriers on the tube more people wouldn’t pay for their tickets. Enforcement is a very important part of what we do. The BPI has brought legal actions against illegal file-sharers in the UK, which has established a legal precedent and raised awareness.
We have to exercise more enforcement in conjunction with internet service provider’s, who are effectively the gatekeepers to the internet. Times are changing; I think that ISP policy makers understand now that you can’t just let people steal music relentlessly without any checks or control. So you need a mixture of enforcement, education and new business models; this is how the industry can go forward.
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