BPI Chief Defends File-Sharing Lawsuits, Ponders Future Market

Lawsuits against individual file-sharers are the right course of action, according to BPI executive chairman Peter Jamieson. Speaking at MidemNet on Saturday, Jamieson declared that "music must be paid for," and underscored the need to condition consumers properly. The comments suggest a continued string of lawsuits from the label trade group, despite heavy criticism from voices inside and outside of the industry. Meanwhile, Jamieson defined his role as an "ambassador of British music," a focus that has paid rich dividends for local artists. During the past year, British artists claimed a 61.9% share of total album sales, thanks to command performances by Gnarls Barkley, Snow Patrol, Arctic Monkeys, and Razorlight.
But Jamieson is stepping down in February, and that may have relaxed the industry veteran as the conversation ensued. Jamieson tossed around possibilities like file-sharing monetization and the sale of unprotected formats, both heretical concepts until recently at major labels. He also mulled the future six months for the recording industry, a period that may reveal "whether a revolution exists," especially in the absence of a gift-giving motive. On the topic of democratized music creation and distribution, Jamieson pointed to a possible decline in quality. "I'd hate to think that the recordings of the future are only under-financed bathroom recordings," he said. Jamieson is stepping down after four years, and will hand the reigns to Tony Wadsworth.
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