Monday January 28, 2008
By Hannah Emanuel

U2 manager Paul McGuinness has added his name to the growing list of parties calling on internet service providers to take responsibility for illegal filesharing on their networks.
McGuiness used his keynote speech at Midem’s international manager summit today (Monday) to ask governments around the world to enforce ISP responsibility, which he says is “not a luxury ; it is a necessity for implementation right now.”

“They (ISPs) have built a multi-billion dollar business on our content. They have a moral obligation to be true and trustworthy partners of the music business,” McGuinness explained, adding that he considers a model whereby music is bundled with internet packages for an additional fee to be “the model of the future”.
The U2 manager said that helping to crack down on illegal filesharing would also benefit ISPs themselves, as illegal traffic is “hogging the bandwidth” that they will need in the future, especially with the growing market for legal film downloads.
After more than a year of negotiations, ISPs in the UK are still resisting implementing a three-step procedure that would mean account holders would receive a notice from their ISP informing them if their account has been used to distribute music illegally, with further action being taken only if the notice is ignored.
In addressing the issue of ISPs, McGuiness joins names such as IFPI chairman and CEO John Kennedy and BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor, who have both spoken of the need for ISP responsibility .
Geoff Taylor says, “For years access to free music has helped to drive ISPs' businesses while they have paid nothing to the creators of that music, and done nothing to help address rampant piracy on their networks. Their wilful blindness is causing tremendous harm to British music, and the music sector, with support from Government, is united in the conviction that the situation must change.
“The music business wants to partner with ISPs to create new music services that would deliver even greater value for consumers, creators, and to ISPs. An internet that rewards creativity - while offering music lovers unprecedented choice and value for money - is in the long term interest of all of us.
“The time has come for ISPs to stop dragging their feet and start showing some responsibility, by taking reasonable steps to counter illegal music freeloading. Their failure to do so in until now is extraordinary - and it can't be allowed to go on."
McGuiness also spoke of the need for the music industry to focus on the quality of music files, saying that MP 3s “don`t sound good” when played through a music system.