Software utilities

Six big UK-based Internet companies have joined part of an ensuing campaign to tackle the amount of music being downloaded illegally, particularly file sharers.

UK law tackling the issue has been in place for years, but it’s only recently that a new momentum has kicked in.

The Big Six (as I shall call them) will send out letters to any illegal downloaders warning them to stop. The next step, if there’s no cessation, will include measures such as slowing down of the user’s bandwidth or stopping them from downloading altogether.

People have already been taken to court in the past. In 2005, 23 people were taken to court and ordered to pay £50,000 in compensation for illegally sharing 9000 tracks online.

I was watching the news a couple of days ago (about what these ISPs are planning to do). A young man was being interviewed. He was asked how he felt about the new campaign and he said he didn’t see how what he downloads affects record companies in any way as they make so much money anyway.

First of all, I thought:  you dumb fool, you’re admitting to illegal downloads ON TV? Good move. Really good.

Second: The late media magnate, Robert Maxwell, was found to have embezzled millions from his employees’ pensions. He managed to get away with it for as long as he did ‘cos he shaved a very small unnoticeable amount from each account. Add those little bits up and you’re talking £450 million.

Third: My grandmother used to say, ‘little drops of water make an ocean’.

I’m in no way jumping to the defence of record companies (‘cos they need to take a serious look in the mirror too), but if all those illegal downloads are eating into their profits, they’re not the ones that’ll suffer – it’s the artist.

We’ll see how this recent ‘toughening up’ affects the music-download landscape in the UK. It will, no doubt, encourage the development of new technologies – some by those looking to enforce the rule – others by those looking to buck the system.

Radiohead, one of the most famous bands in the world, is goin to release its new album, In Rainbows, on the Internet. The new album will be available only from their website, in two formats: Discbox, which will feature a 18 tracks CD, vinyl, artworks and more, or a downloadable version, which will be offered for a very interesting price: ? ! No, it’s not a mistake, when I say ? I mean ? !! The band decided to let people choose the price of the album: you choose how much to pay it, you download it, and after listening you can come back and add a few dollars if you liked it! It’s an heart quake in the music market, and many musicians could be interested in the same possibility, after all Radiohead is one of the biggest bands in the world, and isn’t new to thing like these: from the last album they abandoned majors, and sold it through alternative channels. Major heads already released a few comments (anonymously) , and they seemed really worried! Watch out, the world is changing, and music world too!