U2 manager takes Internet providers to task

By Reuters
Published: January 29, 2008 2:17 AM PST

U2 manager takes Internet providers to task

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Paul McGuinness says it's time for artists to stand up for themselves and calls on ISPs and governments to stop illegal music downloads.

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19 comments (Page 1 of 2)

Artists need to start doing it for themselves
by dannie francis January 29, 2008 3:05 PM PST: Artists need to find digital partners that can protect their music and sell it on their own terms (via the internet). Deploy flexible DRM that let's the buyer choose how much they want to spend. And stop the big labels now... when it comes to Internet/digital strategies they are not smart. there are plenty of Indie and Independent digital sites that can help even the biggest of artists (such as ClubMosh an Indie music dotcom). So like U2 says - be great at business (as well as being great rock artists).; Reply to this comment

This coming from U2's manager?!?!?!
by jhpadilla January 29, 2008 3:41 PM PST: Wow!!!!! As a long-time fan (AND buyer) of U2 albums (physically and digitally) this news comes as a shock!! Is U2 financially in trouble? Why is HE making comments like that?! The labels are already saying all that Mr. McGuinness said, as well the should because it's their business that's tanking. But U2's manager?!?!?! What IS going on? The last dip in cd sales cost them their summer getaway in Ibiza?? Did Bono not get enough money to get to his next trip to Africa??? WHAT??? I dare, no wait, I take that back. I DOUBLE dare Mr. McGuinness to make those statements at the beginning of a U2 concert ANYWHERE in the world. He'll get some Metallica-vs.-Napster flashbacks terror filmmakers would only dream of! I am a FIRM believer that anyone who works well should get well paid. But I think Mr. McGuinness is under the impression that when you are a rock star, you deserve to be richer and richer. Yes I agree artists should get paid and I agree models need to be found to acomodate this. But treating ISPs, companies that make gadgets, and customers like burglars will not win you any fans, cd sales, or sympathy.; Reply to this comment

Industry Failure.
by TimeTraveler2000 January 29, 2008 4:08 PM PST: The music industry had ample opportunity to offer content online in digital format almost a decade ago, but still reluctantly offers any solutions for the internet. I dont see why ISPs should be responsible for protecting the music industry when they will not do it themselves.; Reply to this comment View reply
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If they only had some clue...
by mvbirgelen January 29, 2008 4:24 PM PST: Some people should better keep their mouth shut, because the amount of garbage that is comming out of it is unbearable. "If you were a magazine advertising stolen cars, handling the money for stolen cars and seeing to the delivery of stolen cars, the police would soon be at your door" The difference is that a magazine is a public medium that can be read by virtually anybody. The public has nothing to do with what I do with my own Internet connection and my ISP neither. ISPs do not advertise any illegal content, they just transport IP traffic and offer me some other services like e-mail, webhosting, etc. Maybe Mr. McGuinness also wants his snail mail screened by the US Postal Service for any illegal contents? "Later, musician Peter Gabriel added his support, agreeing that a lot of money is being made out of music by ISPs. He expressed concern, though, about blanket deals." How does the average ISP make money out of music? They just transport bits and bytes. Most ISPs are not fond of selling big pipes to heavy users, because of the costs of network bandwidth. There is more money to be made on the average user that doesn't download any music, besides the occasional iTunes song. Do they really think this is good publicity for them? Is anybody going to buy more U2 albums because of this? Let's hope nobody in congress is stupid enough to fall for some clueless whining schmucks.; Reply to this comment

So much for telling my friends about U2 in 3D. . .
by Brandonius Maximus January 29, 2008 4:37 PM PST: Well I saw that U2 in 3D flick at the local Imax and it was awesome. Definitely the future in maximizing revenue for performing artists. I'm not going to tell my friends about it anymore after this. Getting something without paying for it IS NOT STEALING. Depriving somebody of a resource they already had is stealing. People need to get that through their thick skulls. Critical thinking works wonders. . . Musicians are in the business of selling experiences, not sounds. A machine can duplicate anything The Edge plays on a guitar. It can't duplicate the experience of being at a concert with other people. Isn't this why people pay more for a concert than a CD? The album is just an advertisement for the artist, not the end product.; Reply to this comment

I like the analogy
by Ian Rodriguez January 29, 2008 5:33 PM PST: but... ISPs are more like the roads you drive on. So, based on U2's manager... I say I can sue the State if my car is stolen because they build the roads and license the junk yards selling stolen goods?; Reply to this comment View reply
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Sounds to me
by rapier1 January 29, 2008 7:24 PM PST: Like the guy should try to figure out what "common carrier" means.; Reply to this comment

Quit crying!
by hal Summers January 29, 2008 8:47 PM PST: I wish I could derive income on work that I did ten years ago, or twenty, or thirty! But most people actually have to work for a living. These rock stars with their opulent lifestyles crying over their lost income from all their albums past make me want to puke. Maybe we should lobby congress to roll back copyrights to a maximum of, say, 10 years and then it becomes public domain. The only restriction would be on commercial use. That to me sounds fair since copyright grants the creator exclusive use for a "limited" time. I think Bono knows the verse from the Bible which says, "Let him who will not work let him also not eat". That should apply to "artists" as well. If you want more money, go out and play.; Reply to this comment

ISP music tax not a totally bad idea
by cggkevin January 30, 2008 5:43 AM PST: Consider this, the music industry is whining just like they did when cassette tape first came out claiming piracy issues etc. The outcome was a small tax on every blank cassette sold, end of story. Flash forward to today and the internet is the new cassette tape. Every ISP I know of operates or contacts out a News group server which are filled with music, movies and just about everything else one can imagine. The ISP's make money on this service as part of our monthly broadband bill. Regardless of the source, be it P2P or news group servers, if there were nothing to download, how many people would still want or need broadband which would directly affect the revenues of the ISP. I would happily pay a couple of more dollars a month for broadband to shut the music industry up.; Reply to this comment View all 2 replies
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God I hate Bono...
by umbrae January 30, 2008 5:45 AM PST: When are these throw-backs of an old school business model going to realize the world is a different place, and they are losing money because of over-priced crappy music and not illegal downloads.; Reply to this comment View reply
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