The Chairman and CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, John Kennedy, used the first day of The Music Show at the R.D.S. to call on the Irish government to show leadership in the fight against illegal downloading, which is costing the industry here millions in lost revenues every year.
“I hope that we can see all ISPs in Ireland follow Eircom’s lead and voluntarily come to the table to implement a graduated response approach to online copyright infringement,” said Kennedy, a lawyer who in his role with the IFPI gave evidence on behalf of record companies at the recent Pirate Bay trial. “If not, I hope the Irish government will show the leadership that other countries are showing. Ireland has a rich cultural heritage, but we must not let it become a museum piece.
“We need investment in the next generation of talent,” he added. “That means that creative companies must be able to be paid for their work and that great artists should be able to forge a livelihood from their talent.”
Kennedy’s comments represent a direct challenge to the Minister for Communications to deal with an issue that is directly affecting everyone involved in music. Giving examples of what’s been happening elsewhere in terms of anti-piracy measures, Kennedy continued: “President Sarkozy of France took a lead in this area, realising that French culture was threatened. Countries from South Korea to Sweden have recently tightened copyright laws relating to online content. In the UK, the government has committed itself to reducing online piracy. It is consulting on legislation that will be introduced in the Queen’s Speech this November.”
The IFPI man, who was awarded an OBE in 1985 for his work with Band Aid and Live Aid, also praised Lily Allen for changing the attitudes of fellow musicians.
“One group, the Featured Artists Coalition, initially came out strongly against any sort of action against those who infringe copyright law,” he reflected. “Ed O’Brien of Radiohead said: ‘File-sharing is like a sampler, like taping your mate’s music. You go, ‘I like that, I’ll go and buy the album’. Or, ‘You know what, I’ll go and see them live.’ Lily Allen led a spirited campaign against this line of thinking. She courageously pointed out that many of the artists in the FAC had forged their careers in music over many years, with investment from record companies, and were now able to rely on touring income. She reminded them that the acts struggling to get their break were not in the same boat. She attracted the support of a broad range of artists from Tinchy Stryder and James Blunt to Elton John and Mark Ronson.”
Kennedy stressed that the IFPI and its record company members are keen to embrace new business models.
“New technology has offered music companies the opportunity to licence more than 10 million tracks to over 500 legal online services worldwide,” he proffered. “At the same time, the abuse of technology has drained income from the music industry, with 95% of music downloads worldwide being unlicensed and unpaid for. Music companies invest 20% of their revenues in A&R, but this is a percentage of a declining absolute figure, making it harder for new acts to get the break they need.”
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