Hi Lily
Tom C from Keane here. Hope you're really well!! Just wanted to write to you about a couple of things. Excuse the rather long email, I'm sure you're very busy!
Firstly, well done for taking a lead on the subject of file-sharing - it's rather strange that you happened to make your statements when you did, as I was right in the middle of putting together some thoughts of my own that I had on the issue when the news broke! For the most part, I agree with everything that you have said and are standing for. .
I think if something illegal is obviously going on at the level that it is, then people should be punished for, or at least prevented from, large-scale file-sharing. I personally think it's good that the government are going to slow people's internet connections down if they're caught doing it - it's not exactly clapping them in irons and carting them off to prison!
Surely the basic truth is that music sales are down massively as a result of illegal downloading, however much people want to dress it up in a positive light. Beyond that, I don't think that this 'apparent' large majority of people 'swapping the odd file' should necessarily feel that they're somehow excused - sure, I've done plenty of it myself but if I was forced to stop ALL file-sharing, rather like the smoking ban, I think I would just have to get used to doing things differently!! In my opinion, it would undoubtedly add up to a greater good. I cannot believe there aren't easier ways of making media much harder to copy. Music costs time and money etc to produce, so why should anyone think they can have it all for free? However greedy record companies are or may have been in the past, it's still morally wrong for someone to take something that they haven't paid for.
For what it's worth, my suggestions:
1) Make music much less expensive. It's way too overpriced in my opinion. Pop music (and the clue is in the title) should be available to everyone, although not for free. Look at viable ways of allowing people to stream songs, video etc that leave a fair cut for everybody involved in their creation. 79p a song, for example, is just pie in the sky if you seriously want people to pay for it.
2) Educate and/or punish people with regard to large-scale file-sharing. And presumably it's quite easy for ISPs to tell the difference between large and small scale? Presumably the technology is there for this to be done in a way that doesn't invade people's privacy...I agree that the ISPs should not be 'policing' the net, but they should redefine their technical role to specifically protect music and other media. Personally, I think the ISPs are just being lazy/greedy.
3) Find a way of cheaply watermarking all CDs/music files, so that they can be traced back to the original owner. After all, that's only like putting your name on something you own(!). Surely that should be easier now than it was in the days of taping?
Lastly, I agree that the internet is great for bands who want to get noticed and get their songs out to vast swathes of people but isn't that completely different to what happens when they want to start making a viable living out of it? I think that when a band, artist, screenwriter, director etc gets good enough, they should be entitled to have their work respected and protected by the general public.
Please feel free to use any of the above if you find it useful - I'd rather not be quoted on criticising Stephen Fry, especially as I'm really only using what he said to illustrate a point and he's one of my absolute heroes!
Tom x
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