Despite it’s dubious title, I thought tonights Panorama provided a much-needed and balanced overview of what could well turn out to be one of the most important issues in UK internet history.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_8568000/8568358.stm

The folks in the Featured Artist Coalition are the true visionaries on this one, and it was no surprise to hear artists signed to the biggest labels react in the most blinkered fashion.  Those with the most to lose…

I’m convinced artists will slowly move away from the whole concept of being “signed” and just get on with doing what they do best.  The internet will give them the platform, check out websites like Jamendo, Kompoz or ccMixter.   Then of course there’s YouTube, Kutiman and Pomplamoose provide a glimpse of the future.

As for policing file sharing, good luck with that, the technology is already shifting towards anonymity and obfuscation and as the program pointed out, detection will lead to plenty of innocent folks being “accidentally” singled out.

How could it possibly get any worse?

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1596254/online-freedom-killed-bpi