Viviane Reding, who goes by the title of EU Telecommunications Commissioner, has told a conference in Brussels that widespread internet piracy is a "vote of no-confidence" by consumers in existing content industry business models. That fact, she said, should be a "wake up call" for policy makers.
Speaking at an event organised by think tank The Lisbon Council, she said: "Growing internet piracy is a vote of no-confidence in existing business models and legal solutions. It should be a wake-up call for policy makers. Are there really enough attractive and consumer-friendly legal offers on the market?"
She continued: "Does our present legal system for intellectual property rights really live up to the expectations of the internet generation? Have we considered all alternative options to repression? Have we really looked at the issue through the eyes of a 16 year old? Or only from the perspective of law professors who grew up in the Gutenberg Age?"
Of course Reding's opinions are basically those of the industry she represents - the internet service providers - and while it is true that the content industries do need to re-evaluate their business models, and to be fair most now are, widespread internet piracy is also proof that many people will steal something rather than pay for it if they genuinely believe they can get away with it.