Don't Stop File-Sharing, Says Former Pink Floyd Manager 243
Barence writes "The former manager of Pink Floyd has labelled attempts to clamp down on music file-sharing as a 'waste of time.' 'Not only are they a waste of time, they make the law offensive. They are comparable to prohibition in the US in the 1920s,' said Peter Jenner, who's now the emeritus president of the International Music Managers' Forum. 'It's absurd to expect ordinary members of the public to think about what they're allowed to do [with CDs, digital downloads, etc]... and then ask themselves whether it's legal or not.' The comments come as Britain's biggest ISP, BT, said it was confident that Britain's Digital Economy Act — which could result in file-sharers losing their internet connection — would be overturned in the courts, because it doesn't comply with European laws on privacy."
Article summary misleading (Score:3, Informative)
Get it right next time, man.
Peter Jenner - not just PF (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Prohibition? (Score:3, Informative)
"Does John Q. Public really care all that much about file sharing?"
They don't, which makes the label's attempts to equate file sharing with more egregious crimes all that more laughable. This three strikes nonsense they're trying to pass in France is one example; French law makers passed it with flying colors last year because label lobbyists showering them with contributions and everything was great. Then a little earlier this year those same politicians realized they had to get re-elected; now they're balking, and some are even backing out of the pockets of those label lobbyists. http://www.zeropaid.com/news/89860/french-ump-members-having-second-thoughts-on-three-strikes/ [zeropaid.com] Bend with the breeze indeed. I'm sorry, but file sharing is not as criminally dangerous as murder. Not even a little.
Nope, they weren't run by the russian mob (Score:3, Informative)
Nope, they weren't run by the russian mob. Or at least in no more way than the USA Mob ran entertainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra).
Odd you bring up RIAA accounting because AllOfMP3 had the monies owed to the artists available, but RIAA refused to take it.
Compare the rates paid to the 3c/song compulsory licensing that radio (which you can tape from for everyone in the US). The money was the same.
Re:Deal with the real pirates (Score:3, Informative)
> I fail to see any legal jurisdiction the USA might have. ...because you're a moron.
Any nation has a right to protect it's ships and sailors at sea. This includes the merchant marine too.
Re:Deal with the real pirates (Score:4, Informative)
What jurisdiction do those countries you name have?
Pirates are deemed enemies of all humanity; as such, every country has jurisdiction over pirates, though some may be unwilling to exercise it. Check it out. [wikipedia.org]
Oh yeah, and why is the US and other countries using their MILITARY to protect civilian cargo ships?
One of the reasons for a country to have a navy is to maintain that country's free, lawful use of the sea.
Re:Deal with the real pirates (Score:3, Informative)
Yeah, and the US is already *lot* more generous than other nations are, pirate-wise.
When a Russian ship catches pirates, they (on the theory that they can't hold them as prisoners since there's no declaration of war and they're non-uniformed*) simply set them adrift on whatever small bits of their boat remain floating after the shells exploded.
Frankly, good for the Russians.
*) This lapse in international law, BTW, is the same one that causes the US all kinds of headaches for terrorists we capture. There really needs to be a new Geneva Convention to address protocol when confronted with non-uniformed belligerents when no state of war exists, including pirates and terrorists.
Re:Incomplete Floyd Albums (Score:2, Informative)
"All middle men are bad." - Syd Barrett,
(Melody Maker interview with the Pink Floyd, December 9, 1967)
R.W & Co didn't agree, so that's probably an important reason why Syd left.
R.I.P. Syd.