Illegal downloaders to become criminals
August 17, 2009
Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson has been persuaded to take tough actions on those who use the internet to illegally download music and films. According to a report one in twelve of the population does it, and now those people face being criminalized.
Former minister for digital engagement, Tom Watson says that targeting people who download material illicitly is not necessarily the way ahead. It should be those who are uploading material in the first place who should be condemned. He went on to say: “Working on the safe assumptions that (a) people like downloading music from the internet, and (b) most people would prefer not to break the law, we should aim to map a way forward for businesses to take financial advantage of the digital market.”
However, some in the music industry do not agree. Lily Allen points out that if people want good music, then they will have to start paying for it. Bands are being dropped by their labels because there is no money in the business any more, and Lily Allen blames the illegal downloaders directly for this.
Others do not agree. The Pirate Party UK supports legalizing file sharing across the internet and has just announced that it will be standing at the next election. Its leader, Andrew Robinson said that the new laws “would be a gross intrusion into civil liberties”, and also pointed out that they would end up criminalizing people just for living in the same house as somebody who downloads material illegally.
Thanks to www.independent.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.
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