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Rory Cellan-Jones

Lily unites musicians against file-sharing

  • Rory Cellan-Jones
  • 25 Sep 09, 11:24 GMT

Just when it seemed that everything was shaping up for a battle of the bands on the issue of illegal file-sharing, peace has broken out between musicians over the issue.

Previously, the likes of Lily Allen, Elton John and James Blunt were lining up to support the government's tougher stance, while artists like Billy Bragg and Radiohead's Ed O'Brien of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) were warning against alienating fans: it looked as though there was little hope for harmony.

Ben Bradshaw, Leona Lewis, Peter MandelsonYesterday afternoon, as he visited the Brit School for the Performing Arts in the company of the Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw and Leona Lewis, Lord Mandelson was asked about the opposition to his plans from the FAC - which has argued that what's needed is more carrot and less stick.

He said that many more artists supported his proposals, which include temporary suspension of the internet accounts of repeat offenders, a measure he described as modest and fair:

"We can't see a situation where people are producing content without being compensated. We want to see talent protected and properly compensated."

Leona Lewis wasn't tempted to come to my microphone, but the BPI issued a statement with some comments from the star about how important it was "that people understand how copyright means that performers and writers can actually end up making a living out of their work", so it appeared she was in Peter and Lily's band rather than singing from the Radiohead hymn sheet.

Little common ground, then - but last night the Featured Artists Coalition held a meeting to hammer out a position on the whole issue. What emerged was a statement which first of all expressed the artists' support for Lily Allen and condemned the "vitriol" directed at her in recent days.

The FAC then went on to throw its weight behind a "three strikes and you're out" policy - not quite as draconian as the Mandelson disconnection plan, but a lot further than just about any country apart from France has gone in the battle against file sharers. This is a massive U-turn from an organisation which, a few weeks back, seemed to think that file-sharing might even be a good promotional tool for artists.

lily allenSo it looks as though Lily Allen has made quite an impact, despite shutting down her It's Not Alright blog, and retiring bruised from the battle after a lot of unkind comments about her stance. One American music industry pundit, Bob Lefsetz, even questioned whether artists were bright enough to comment on this issue.

But Lily has had the last laugh - her fellow artists have united behind her, and she appears to have shifted the terms of the debate. And Lord Mandelson must be even more pleased this morning. The initial reaction to his toughening up of the Digital Britain proposals was pretty negative - but now he's assembled quite an impressive chorus of approval.

All he's got to do now is convince the internet service providers that they should be happy to police their customers - and that will prove rather more tricky. But look out for the New Year's Honours list - how does Dame Lily sound?

Maggie Shiels

Trek power comes to Intel

  • Maggie Shiels
  • 25 Sep 09, 08:41 GMT

While Captain Kirk and the members of the Starship Enterprise were tasked with boldly going where no-one has ever gone before, those attending Intel's developer forum (IDF) were given an equally weighty mission.

"You developers are the dreamers in our culture. I encourage you not to be afraid to dream that big dream. What if? What if? What if?"

LeVar BurtonThese were the words of LeVar Burton who played Geordie la Forge on the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

As the chief engineer constantly seen fixing machines or discovering new scientific phenomena, perhaps it was fitting that the actor came to IDF to inspire. And even more fitting that he made his comments during the company's big play for the future of television.

Mr Burton told the audience that he firmly believed early episodes of the programme helped encourage young viewers to take up science and to go out and invent and come up with new ideas.

Star Trek

He said that he was a geek thanks to literature and that, in his mother's house, "you read a book or got hit in the head."

As a youngster, Mr Burton told the audience that he was drawn to science fiction writing but that "it was rare for me to see heroes in the pages of those novels that looked like me, a person of colour". Gene Rodenberry, the creator of Star Trek, changed all that for him.

"When the future comes, there will be a place for you."

Mr Burton said that for him the two most influential and powerful words in the English language are "what if" and he encouraged the developers at IDF to go out and make the "link between what we imagine and what we manifest".

Levar watchig Star Trek with Intel exec Eric KimAnd he noted that "human beings manifest machines. It is what we are hard-wired to do."

Mr Burton wound up by posing the question:

"What are the contributions you are going to make in our present that will lead us to our future?"

He ended using the words of his friend and fellow actor Patrick Stewart in the role of Jean-Luc Picard: "make it so."

Update 1134: Apologies to all enraged Trekkers and appalled Trekkies. After carefully avoiding either of those divisive terms throughout this post, the last line contained a clanger, conflating Captains Picard and Clark. This has now been rectified.

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