Should ISPs really be the Internet’s police force?—Posted on February 20, 2008

Jim CredladnIt is nice to remember those heady, early days of the Internet, when corporations, politicians and users alike waxed lyrical about the freest flow of information humankind has ever seen. Fast forward 17 years and we are faced with yet another call for ISPs to do more to stop file-sharing – this time with a somewhat reactionary proposal that illegal file-sharers be booted off the Internet by their service providers.

These calls are, not surprisingly, coming from those with the most to lose from a truly free Internet, with the music and film industries leading the assault. Logically it seems they may have right on their side – they own the IP rights for the tunes and movies so why should they be robbed of their profits?

But then why should it be the ISP’s job to keep its users in check? Should manufacturers of tape-decks and CD players be required to monitor their devices and report back to the government every time a copy is made? Should car manufacturers be made to remotely shut down any vehicle they produce once its driver exceeds the speed limit? Of course not – it is absurd, and so is the idea that ISPs have any businesses policing their users.

Quite frankly, as a musician and owner of copyright material myself I welcome the Internet and all it brings. Sure there's been a revolution and I'm struggling to sell as much vinyl as I once did (DJs having joined the laptop party recently). However the cost of entry into the market has dropped and I can now release more interesting and experimental material more easily.

As an artist I do like to see people buying my music. However, whilst music piracy may be theft, I am aware that the majority of people with copies are not ripping me off. They are still copies - this isn't theft that necessarily deprives me of something I would otherwise have had! Many people who copy this material are not going to simply buy it instead, even if piracy was difficult.

The music and film industries should worry less about enforcement and more about how they are going to take advantage of what is a much cheaper and more effective means of distribution. Things will change massively and profits may be insecure for a while, but ultimately the Internet provides a wealth of opportunities for artists and distribution companies – they just need to recapture some of the initial excitement of the Internet and worry less about maintaining the status quo.

Jim Credland, security consultant, THUS