Though Cowards Flinch

I can’t be more plain about this; I absolutely, wholeheartedly think that any individual has the right not to spend £10 on a CD when they can download it for absolutely free.

This video article from today’s 6 o’clock news on the BBC is titled “Why a clampdown on illegal downloading is needed” and follows a series of articles in the national press. The government, it turns out, is considering the internet equivalent of ASBOs; banning people from using the internet for downloading things like music or movies in breach of copyright.

Bottom line: I don’t care if ‘the music industry’ suffers from a loss of a billion pounds each year. Frankly, the music industry seems to be doing pretty well without an extra billion. I have yet to see a major artist go hungry because of internet downloads – and the artists trying to break through into the big time seem to be doing all the better for internet traffic on their songs.

Moreover, it should be noted that the internet file share industry is probably cutting down on the trade in illegal CD’s being sold across market stalls. I’m not saying that will ever be eliminated – but ten downloaded tracks on the net means a fiver less in the pocket of the wily chaps who produce faux CD’s by the bucket load. Money which, not unusually, can end up in the pockets of crime kingpins – as it does in Northern Ireland.

It should also be noted that file sharing has caused no few revolutions in the way music is sold – starting with price decreases in the original cost of CD’s and DVD’s. It has also caused the music industry to be less complacent about attracting customers towards buying the original articles.

I’m not talking about the ridiculous advertisements which FACT forces down our throats before we watch selected films (or after in the case of House season 3). Or about the absolutely cheesy ads they put before films, like the one about nosepicking Nigel or whoever it is they put up as the counterfeiter. Scare tactics don’t work, evidently.

I’m talking about better special features on DVD’s, better album art and stuff like that. These are the only reasons I buy CD’s and DVD’s anymore.

So someone answer me this; why should we have to pay over the odds for goods? Even with all the illicit trading in music, films and software, all three industries seem to be doing just fine. There aren’t artists going homeless and hungry just because the record industry doesn’t have the billion pounds we’re supposedly denying it.

I’m quite content to have a billion less spent on executive wages, shitty award shows and advertising to ram products down my throat.