TORONTO – Participants at the Canadian Music Week 2008 Global Forum say it’s time for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to step up and use their huge market power to take action against piracy, according to a summary report of the event that was released Friday.
The invitation-only workshop held in March in Toronto was attended by 120 music industry thinkers.
“Participants were near-unanimous in their view: rules for commercial relations are necessary in a global economy. Without rules – in part through a fresh round of copyright reform – new business models in the music industry may never get off the ground,” states the report, entitled “The Canadian Music Week 2008 Global Forum Summary and Analysis.
The report notes that the music industry is facing a massive shift in its distribution system, and that piracy is a key tool in how it’s being rolled out. However, the report notes that France is among the first nations to bring ISPs to the table to ensure they take action.
The United Kingdom is likely not that far behind, as Virgin Media is currently in discussions with rights holder organizations on a voluntary scheme that could be used to curb illegal file sharing on ISP networks, according to the report. It states that ISPs in Britain are being pressured to find a voluntary solution with the industry, or face legislation from early 2009.
Global Forum participants also said the next round of copyright reform must hold ISPs accountable for the content of traffic on their networks.
The report was written by Richard Cavanagh, partner at CONNECTUS Consulting Inc. and has been submitted to the Canadian Recording Industry Association, the Ontario Media Development Corp. and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
