Copyright Law

Stephen Fry Compares RIAA to ?Big Tobacco?

By soulxtc

UK actor blasts failed prosecution of illegal file-sharers and said that most people are more than willing to pay a “fair” price to download content legally.

Stephen Fry, the multi-talented UK actor, writer, comedian, author, television presenter and film director, delivered a rousing speech to a crowd at the iTunes Festival in London this past Sunday in which he criticized the entertainment industry for its overly aggressive prosecution of illegal file-sharers.

“Making examples of ordinary people is the stupidest thing the record industry can do,” he told the audience, and he doesn’t believe that bands “are in favor” of the strategy, many of which have said they certainly are not. “My business – the film business, the television business, the music business – is doing the wrong thing.”

Fry also reminded people that rigid copyright laws stifle creativity and innovation, a point made last week by Christian Engström, newly elected member of the Swedish Pirate Party to the European Parliament.

“We are not nouns, we are verbs,” he added. “Weak copyright encourages creativity.”

Talk about a making a poignant observation.

Fry said it was ridiculous to call file-sharers criminals, singling out “those preposterous” anti-P2P “you wouldn’t steal a handbag” commercials in particular. Fry couldn’t believe they could be “so blind… as to think that someone who BitTorrents an episode of 24 is the same as someone who steals somebody’s handbag.”

He later admitted to using BitTorrent himself to download the season finale of House to see his old “partner in crime” Hugh Laurie,

Fry also said he feels last month’s Digital Britain Report, one of the goals of which is to create a “robust legal and regulatory framework to combat digital piracy,” was dominated by debate by “industry insiders,” that ordinary people were largely ignored.

He then took questions from the audience, the first of which he was asked what he thinks about people pirating his work.

“I’m against cynical bootlegging but I work in a very molly coddled, overpaid business,” he said.

Fry’s choicest words were for the record industry which he referred to as “Big Tobacco.” He argued that those who download for commercial profit, i.e. to burn to DVD or CD for retail sale, ought to be prosecuted, and that most people are willing to pay a “fair” price for legal content.

He pointed out that Michael Jackson’s reemergence on the Billboard charts following his death proved people are still willing to pay for content.

Afterwards Fry seemed to have amazed even himself for taking such a stab at the entertainment industry, and hoped he wouldn’t be misconstrued to be entirely pro-P2P.

“Well, finished my bit,” he Twittered. “Hope I’m not misunderstood. Such a pity if I get misrepresented as a ‘help yourself and be a pirate’ advocate.”

I don’t think that will be the case at all. I don’t think anybody’s in favor of a world where everything’s free. File-sharers want to see compensation, but only if it’s reasonable and a majority, or at least half for heaven’s sake,  goes directly to the artists responsible.

Full post as published by ZeroPaid on July 15, 2009 (boomark / email).