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Weatherley working on Google paper, clarifies position on piracy penalties, as full line-up for Maximising Music Rights at The Great Escape confirmed
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 13 February 2014
Mike Weatherley MP, IP Advisor to David Cameron, has revealed he is working on a paper on Google’s possible role in protecting copyright online, but says he sees the web giant as having an important information and education role, rather that wishing the search engine to become the policemen of the internet.
Speaking to CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke in an interview last week, Weatherley said of the music industry’s recent calls for Google to do more to help crack down on online piracy: “I am doing a paper on this shortly and would prefer to wait until I have gathered all the evidence [before making any firm commitments], but I am not comfortable about asking Google to be the policemen – it is not them who are distributing the illegal content – but they do have a role to play in directing people to legal sites and should be part of the informing and educating agenda”. Despite frosty relationships between Google and the music rights business on this issue, he added that he was still hopeful a voluntary arrangement could be reached between the web firm and the labels and publishers.
The MP – who is also co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music – also spoke about a recent parliamentary debate on IP issues, after which he was accused of talking up custodial sentences for online pirates. He said: “There was a lot of misinformation on this subject. But theft is theft. We do need penalties and these should range from initial contact and explanation – everyone’s preferred option – to fines, graduated depending on frequency and scale, and, in extreme cases where the person has no regard for law, removal of internet access”.
He went on: “For commercial entities who undertake theft on a huge scale, we cannot rule out custodial sentences in the same way that criminal gangs are held to similar account for tangible goods. Please note that no one is suggesting a fourteen year old will go to jail for file-sharing, but as for all stealing, from shops or wherever, there do need to be consequences on an appropriate basis, typically, after explanation and graduated fines, as for tangible goods”.
Mike Weatherley will head up a half-day strand at the CMU Insights-programmed Great Escape convention in May year, and Cooke spoke to him as the full line-up for that strand – which was first announced last year – was revealed. PPL CEO Peter Leathem, Kobalt Neighbouring Rights MD Ann Tausis, Featured Artists Coalition co-CEO Crispin Hunt, BPI Head Of Internet Investigation John Hodge and Muso co-Founder and Director Andy Chatterley will also take part in a strand that will cover neighbouring rights, tools for protecting content online, and all the key issues affecting the music rights sector in 2014.
With the full line-up of Maximising Music Rights now online, the next half-day strand taking place at TGE this year will be announced next week. Meanwhile a very limited supply of early bird delegate passes at just £145 are still available in the TGE website here. Rooms are also going fast at the official delegate hotels, The Queens and myhotel.
Read the full interview with Weatherley here.
