One last bit on 'Digital Britain'. Well, last until we get to media news. And while many in the music business yesterday worried that the "technical restrictions" that OfCom may be able to enforce against "serious, repeat infringers", eventually, were too little too late, the Featured Artists Coalition worried that those proposals may go too far.
In their response to the government's big digital report, they asked for clarification on what "serious, repeat infringer" really means, worried that the measures might be instigated against the kind of music fan whose casual file-sharing, in the eyes of many artists, is not a major problem. As previously reported, the FAC has made it very much of its policy to oppose what it calls the "criminalisation" of ordinary music fans.
Asking for clarification and assurances on that point, Music Week quote FAC board member and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason as follows: "It is simply disproportionate and unfair to lump ordinary music fans into the same category as large-scale, profit-making infringers like The Pirate Bay".
Elsewhere, FAC said it welcomed one line in particular from the Intellectual Property Office's Digital Britain statement - the bit when the IP said that "the relationship between creators and creative business needs to be a balanced one - there may be steps we need to take here".
On that, FAC board member and Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien says: "We believe that this is a good indication of a willingness to establish a more level playing field between artists and the traditional structures of the music industry. It is refreshing to see that our extensive discussions with the Copyright Office and IP minister David Lammy have had some influence. We look forward to working with the IPO to further develop this strategic direction".