“I was shocked to learn that only one in 20 music tracks in the UK is downloaded legally. We cannot sit back and do nothing,” - Lord Mandelson.

(click)

(the response)

i assume i am not the only person who lolled at the above quote. this is equal to the reaction of a tired and somewhat forgetful parent who has witnessed one of their children flicking the V’s at another and still thinks it’s the most offensive gesture on the planet. and yet in reality, there is no “problem,” no “disaster.” thankfully, the response i had planned to this little piece of news has already been articulated - by somebody fairly high up in the grand scale of things, i might add. there’s no point in me paraphrasing, so i’ll just cut and paste:

The machine is still running.  The labels are working harder with fewer resources, and the majority of the coke-snorting, cocktail-slurping, teen-shagging ex-public schoolboy disgusting-excuses-for-A&R men have gone…

Downloads mean everyone has to work harder, “in a more diverse and competitive market”, to earn the same amount.  But let’s remember that “the same amount” means “an absolute shitload of cash”.

hearing musicians talk about it like this makes you realise: piracy isn’t even a moral issue any more. it is necessary - i repeat, necessary - to clean up the many abuses within the industry, and other interconnected sectors of society.

this is what the reformation was to the catholic church (and that still hasn’t fully recovered). this has been coming for a long time. but, those with their fingers in the pie aren’t going down without a fight.

it ain’t over.