U2 Manager Wants ISPs to Boot Copyright Infringers from the Internet

In a bid to replace Metallica’s Lars Ulrich as the favorite punching bag of the online music community, U2 manager Paul McGuinness threw down the gauntlet against music fans and the ISPs who love them at the MIDEM conference in Cannes, in a speech called "Online Bonanza: Who is making all the money and why […]
Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Performer Person Coat Overcoat Suit and Face

U2xmas4
In a bid to replace Metallica's Lars Ulrich as the favorite punching bag of the online music community, U2 manager Paul McGuinness threw down the gauntlet against music fans and the ISPs who love them at the MIDEM conference in Cannes, in a speech called "Online Bonanza: Who is making all the money and why aren't they sharing it?"

It's always revolting to read about multimillionaires who think they are too poor, but there's another problem here. McGuinness, apparently not much of a net neutrality fan, thinks ISPs should monitor internet traffic at the behest of music corporations with the ultimate goal of kicking repeat alleged infringers off of the internet.

It is time for ISPs to be real partners. The safe harbours of the 1990sare no longer appropriate, and if ISPs do not cooperate voluntarilythere will need to be legislation to require them to cooperate.

Why does all this matter so much? Because the truth is that whateverbusiness model you are building, you cannot compete with billions ofillegal files free on P2P networks. And the research does show thateffective enforcement � such as a series of warnings from the ISP toillegal file sharers that would culminate in disconnection of yourservice � can address the problem.

A simple three strikes and you are out enforcement process will see allserial illegal uploaders who resist the law face a stark choice: changeor lose your ISP subscription.

The potential for abuse and misuse of such a policy is vast. Is your tech-clueless roommateannoying you? Just install some P2P software and leave it running –
three strikes and she loses her connection. Forever? Who knows.

McGuinness is also asking ISPs to become partners with labels, paying for the right to deliver music as opposed to other data. He's aware that this recommendation sounds a lot like previousproposals to let users trade whatever they want for a monthly fee,
which ISPs would then parse out between the various stakeholders.
However, McGuinness would rather work things out on a business/enforcement levelwith ISPs than permit that sort of widespread music enjoyment:

Some people do go further and favour a state-imposed blanket licence onmusic. Let me stress that I don't believe in that. A government cannotset the price of music well any more than a rock band can run agovernment.

Really? Somebody better tell Bono.

See also:

(image from showbizireland)