My creativity is my livelihood. Yet it took me just three minutes to find a copy of the Casino Royale score on an illegal file-sharing service. I was asked to tick a box stating that I would not use the site to infringe anyone’s copyright, before proceeding to an extremely professional mechanism for doing just that.
The issue of how creators are rewarded will come into focus in December in The Gowers Report, from the former FT editor. Early indications are that one recommendation will involve creating an exception for ‘private copying’ - or, people copying CD collections onto iPods.
At best, such an exception is a distraction from the real issue of how to stamp out illegal file-sharing whilst offering legitimate alternatives. At worst, it will give a public green light to the idea that there should be a free for all in access to digital content.
All players in the music value chain need to demonstrate greater responsibility towards copyright. If Gowers is to have a lasting and beneficial effect on creativity and on the economy, he will focus his attention on this above all.
David Arnold wrote the original of this article which first appeared in the New Statesman.