The outgoing British Labour government wants to leave as its legacy a law to victimise members of the P2P communities, including children, who share with each other online.
“Initially the Government will aim to educate and those identified as downloading unlawfully, will be sent letters,” says the Telegraph. “If this proves insufficient, technical measures will be introduced — including the powers to disconnect pirates.”
The ‘graduated response’ Three Strikes plan, touted as separate ‘initiatives’ by individual governments such as Britain’s, is in fact a major component of a massive global entertainment industry scheme to acquire the net as an exclusive corporate marketing and distribution vehicle.
Big Music is in the forefront and the first effect of the adoption of any such plan will be to drive a huge wedge between online music fans and musicians. However, anyone accused by the cartels of being copyright infringers of corporate ‘product’ will utimately become targets as well.
With that the background, UK recording artist Billy Bragg (left) will join New Democrat Charlie Angus, himself a musician, to “talk about how artists, not corporate lawyers, are taking the lead on establishing basic rules for the development of digital culture online,” says an NDP statement.
“The internet brings fans and artists closer together than ever before and brings great benefits to both,” says Bragg.
“Let’s not allow the record industry to keep us apart in order to protect their old broken business model.”
Hearings on digital culture and new media are set to start at the heritage committee, says Angus, adding he and Bragg will be joined by the Songwriters Association of Canada’s Don Quarles, and Wide Mouth Mason’s Safwan Javad, who’ll represent the Canadian Music Creators Coalition.
The meeting will be tomorrow at the National Press Theatre, 150 Wellington, Ottawa, at 10:00 am.