Comments on: My letter to the Musicians Union About the Digital Economy Bill http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/ the soundtrack to the day you wish you'd had Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:39:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Copyright reform, from a centre-right perspective | Mark's Musings http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-3/#comment-6072 Copyright reform, from a centre-right perspective | Mark's Musings Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:13:15 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-6072 [...] speak for the majority of musicians. I’ve previously directed readers of my blog to this excellent diatribe by Steve Lawson, someone who is in no danger of being mistaken for a Tory [...] [...] speak for the majority of musicians. I’ve previously directed readers of my blog to this excellent diatribe by Steve Lawson, someone who is in no danger of being mistaken for a Tory [...]

]]> By: David Rangel http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-3/#comment-4297 David Rangel Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:34:08 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-4297 Wow. Glad I found this because I was just about to register with MU. I am highly opposed to the DEB due to its stubborn, backwards thinking. Can somebody please tell me why P2P file-sharing is illegal when stupid jokes like Spotify exist? Wow. Glad I found this because I was just about to register with MU. I am highly opposed to the DEB due to its stubborn, backwards thinking.

Can somebody please tell me why P2P file-sharing is illegal when stupid jokes like Spotify exist?

]]> By: Kirsty Newton http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-3/#comment-4066 Kirsty Newton Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:18:37 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-4066 Hi Steve, I stumbled across this page as I searched for the MU website - I was very surprised to learn of their stance on the DE Bill. Thanks for your informative and well-argued points! I have been meaning to join the MU for years and am just getting round to it, but this is definitely food for thought. I think you'll be interested and amused to hear comedian (and my boyfriend) Nick Doody's rant on the Digital Economy Bill which aired on Radio 4's Now Show back in April: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDU-2RGcJKQ Let's hope the current bill isn't fully enforced. Cheers, Kirsty Hi Steve,

I stumbled across this page as I searched for the MU website – I was very surprised to learn of their stance on the DE Bill. Thanks for your informative and well-argued points! I have been meaning to join the MU for years and am just getting round to it, but this is definitely food for thought. I think you’ll be interested and amused to hear comedian (and my boyfriend) Nick Doody’s rant on the Digital Economy Bill which aired on Radio 4′s Now Show back in April:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDU-2RGcJKQ

Let’s hope the current bill isn’t fully enforced.

Cheers,
Kirsty

]]> By: Adam http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-2/#comment-3789 Adam Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:52:13 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-3789 Hi Steve, Great letter. I've just finished my final year dissertation on the evolution of the interent as a means of promoting music and couldn't agree more with you. If the digital economy bill is fully enforced it we truly be the beginning of turning the internet into a one-way medium. I have a guest lecture with someone from the MU this afternoon and i'll be sure to raise some of the points you have made here Adam Hi Steve,
Great letter. I’ve just finished my final year dissertation on the evolution of the interent as a means of promoting music and couldn’t agree more with you.
If the digital economy bill is fully enforced it we truly be the beginning of turning the internet into a one-way medium.
I have a guest lecture with someone from the MU this afternoon and i’ll be sure to raise some of the points you have made here

Adam

]]> By: Corey Mwamba http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-2/#comment-3357 Corey Mwamba Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:52:40 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-3357 Hey Steve! This is slightly tangential, but; have you seen what the MU and BPI is doing now? What are your thoughts on THAT hot pile of weirdness? [just in case anyone's wondering: the MU/BPI agreement for session rates is currently being negotiated. Summary: musicians lose in terms of earnings, as a record company could try to cram all the work into a shorter time frame. There's a Facebook group, of course, where's there's more information: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127223247303810 Additional disclaimer: I'm not part of the MU and never have been. If you can see a train coming, don't walk on to the tracks, as almost nobody says nowadays.] Hey Steve!

This is slightly tangential, but; have you seen what the MU and BPI is doing now? What are your thoughts on THAT hot pile of weirdness?

[just in case anyone's wondering: the MU/BPI agreement for session rates is currently being negotiated. Summary: musicians lose in terms of earnings, as a record company could try to cram all the work into a shorter time frame. There's a Facebook group, of course, where's there's more information:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127223247303810

Additional disclaimer: I'm not part of the MU and never have been. If you can see a train coming, don't walk on to the tracks, as almost nobody says nowadays.]

]]> By: jules http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-2/#comment-3306 jules Tue, 25 May 2010 15:19:10 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-3306 Hi All - Some great thoughts here. I was a member of the MU for about 10 years before I left to go live in LA. Now I'm back I've been intending to re-join. Strange since I also do not (did not) support the Bill. It is utterly misdirected to penalise your "customers" and (quite rightly as has been eloquently pointed out here) flies in the face of what the internet is. BUT...the MU has done me a ton of good as a player and writer. They indemnify me against nasty lawsuits when I perform, they fight for my rates of pay, they put pressure on unscrupulous venues, tv companies etc and they stood shoulder to shoulder with me when I went through the horror of redundancy. I also know that when you join such organisations (much like political parties) they are not going to tick all the boxes. I do believe that it's better to be standing inside the tent pissing out than standing outside pissing in (excuse the analogy). If we as musician's don't agree with the union we must band together and BE HEARD. If you are a muso and you haven't joined then JOIN and have a voice. We must speak out for our audiences, they deserve that. Walking away and moaning from the sidelines is not an option. For those of you on here who are not musicians but enjoy the music... thanks! PLEASE continue to support the creativity of those whose music speaks to you and where you can please try to pay for it. It makes a hell of a difference. :) Hi All -

Some great thoughts here. I was a member of the MU for about 10 years before I left to go live in LA. Now I’m back I’ve been intending to re-join. Strange since I also do not (did not) support the Bill. It is utterly misdirected to penalise your “customers” and (quite rightly as has been eloquently pointed out here) flies in the face of what the internet is. BUT…the MU has done me a ton of good as a player and writer. They indemnify me against nasty lawsuits when I perform, they fight for my rates of pay, they put pressure on unscrupulous venues, tv companies etc and they stood shoulder to shoulder with me when I went through the horror of redundancy. I also know that when you join such organisations (much like political parties) they are not going to tick all the boxes. I do believe that it’s better to be standing inside the tent pissing out than standing outside pissing in (excuse the analogy). If we as musician’s don’t agree with the union we must band together and BE HEARD. If you are a muso and you haven’t joined then JOIN and have a voice. We must speak out for our audiences, they deserve that. Walking away and moaning from the sidelines is not an option.

For those of you on here who are not musicians but enjoy the music… thanks! PLEASE continue to support the creativity of those whose music speaks to you and where you can please try to pay for it. It makes a hell of a difference. :)

]]> By: Steve http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-2/#comment-3169 Steve Thu, 13 May 2010 10:34:19 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-3169 David, no one is stopping anyone from charging for anything. As I've stated, I'm not against *a* digital economy act, I'm against this one, specifically because it was written by lobbyists for a particular part of the industry using specious, misleading statistics to scare musicians and politicians alike with Chicken Licken type "the sky is falling" lies that just aren't born out by any kind of transformative look at what all this means for people who make music and people who listen to it. It's interesting that you dismiss arguments about 'getting it', while seemingly demonstrating that there are large bits to this that you don't indeed get. There is nothing in the legal system to stop you charging for downloads. I continue to accrue sales via iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and other stores, and some people STILL are willing to pay more on a 'pay what you want' basis than they would through those other outlets. Others are discovering my music by downloading it for free, at zero cost to me, and that's fantastic! Instead of me paying a fortune for a radio plugger, for magazine ads, for TV spots etc. I can just get people who like my music to share it with their friends, who them come back and talk to me, and choose to pay for it. Everybody wins. But that's not what the bill is about, at all. It's about file sharing involving copyright materials, and the penalties for it. It involves the wholesale breach of privacy (do you think the postman should be able to open your post in case you have something that he might be able to report? Or that the police should be able to do spot checks on your CD collection to check for CDRs? Or maybe just follow home anyone buying CDRs, and raid their house for illegal music/video?) and a REALLY blunt edged method for discerning who is 'guilty' and who should suffer, all based on a desperation driven by utterly made up statistics. That's no way to write and implement laws. Let's have a proper discussion about it, and a bill that reflects an understanding of the tech involved and the real impact on an industry that has fairly consistently got in the way of most music reaching an audience for the last 50 years. David, no one is stopping anyone from charging for anything. As I’ve stated, I’m not against *a* digital economy act, I’m against this one, specifically because it was written by lobbyists for a particular part of the industry using specious, misleading statistics to scare musicians and politicians alike with Chicken Licken type “the sky is falling” lies that just aren’t born out by any kind of transformative look at what all this means for people who make music and people who listen to it.

It’s interesting that you dismiss arguments about ‘getting it’, while seemingly demonstrating that there are large bits to this that you don’t indeed get. There is nothing in the legal system to stop you charging for downloads. I continue to accrue sales via iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and other stores, and some people STILL are willing to pay more on a ‘pay what you want’ basis than they would through those other outlets. Others are discovering my music by downloading it for free, at zero cost to me, and that’s fantastic! Instead of me paying a fortune for a radio plugger, for magazine ads, for TV spots etc. I can just get people who like my music to share it with their friends, who them come back and talk to me, and choose to pay for it. Everybody wins.

But that’s not what the bill is about, at all. It’s about file sharing involving copyright materials, and the penalties for it. It involves the wholesale breach of privacy (do you think the postman should be able to open your post in case you have something that he might be able to report? Or that the police should be able to do spot checks on your CD collection to check for CDRs? Or maybe just follow home anyone buying CDRs, and raid their house for illegal music/video?) and a REALLY blunt edged method for discerning who is ‘guilty’ and who should suffer, all based on a desperation driven by utterly made up statistics.

That’s no way to write and implement laws. Let’s have a proper discussion about it, and a bill that reflects an understanding of the tech involved and the real impact on an industry that has fairly consistently got in the way of most music reaching an audience for the last 50 years.

]]> By: Adrian http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-2/#comment-3168 Adrian Thu, 13 May 2010 10:22:30 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-3168 Umm... you can charge whatever you want for your CDs and downloads, David. How is that affected by what Steve chooses to do on his site? Umm… you can charge whatever you want for your CDs and downloads, David. How is that affected by what Steve chooses to do on his site?

]]> By: David Read http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-2/#comment-3157 David Read Mon, 10 May 2010 10:37:08 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-3157 Systems have always been hacked - cheques, telephones, DVDs. That doesn't mean that the business model is broken, stupid. I'm a musican and I'm very happy for you to give your music away for free, but I (like most of the industry) would prefer to charge for CDs/downloads and would like the legal system to allow me to do that, not reward the freeloaders. You might donate some money to a band you start listening to, but the next generation expects free music now and won't pay you a fig. Imagine if the law stopped Starbucks from charging for coffee and all they could do was for a donation on the way out. All these arguments about 'getting it' are crock. You need rules in this economy, but legitimisation of those that can get around the existing ones. Systems have always been hacked – cheques, telephones, DVDs. That doesn’t mean that the business model is broken, stupid. I’m a musican and I’m very happy for you to give your music away for free, but I (like most of the industry) would prefer to charge for CDs/downloads and would like the legal system to allow me to do that, not reward the freeloaders. You might donate some money to a band you start listening to, but the next generation expects free music now and won’t pay you a fig. Imagine if the law stopped Starbucks from charging for coffee and all they could do was for a donation on the way out. All these arguments about ‘getting it’ are crock. You need rules in this economy, but legitimisation of those that can get around the existing ones.

]]> By: Wayne http://www.stevelawson.net/2010/04/my-letter-to-the-musicians-union-about-the-digital-economy-bill/comment-page-2/#comment-3065 Wayne Sat, 17 Apr 2010 11:33:00 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/?p=2372#comment-3065 Just to put this in a bit of perspective, according to Thomas Dolby and Gary Numan, the MU tried to ban synthesizers in the late 1970s / early 1980s: See eg http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/30/thomas-dolby-interview/ http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6864650.ece That seems as utterly absurd now as their support for crippling the internet.. also seems now. The MU does many things well and I shall remain a member, but coping with the future and technological change is not their long suit. Just to put this in a bit of perspective, according to Thomas Dolby and Gary Numan, the MU tried to ban synthesizers in the late 1970s / early 1980s:

See eg http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/30/thomas-dolby-interview/

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6864650.ece

That seems as utterly absurd now as their support for crippling the internet.. also seems now. The MU does many things well and I shall remain a member, but coping with the future and technological change is not their long suit.

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