: Pirate Party: Digital Economy Bill Steam Rollered

Whilst we don't hold sway with that whole party politics shtick around these parts, can we just point you in the direction of the Pirate Party for their useful analysis of recent developments in the Digital Economy Bill.

"Parliament does not need to protect, or even encourage analogue-age business models if it wants a Digital Britain; they must either engage with new technology or suffer the consequences, as with any other business. This is an adapt-or-die situation: the struggling sectors of the content industries have failed to conform to the digital revolution, and should not be rescued for clinging to their antiquated business model."

(And that's not any kind of endorsement for their manifesto, which we haven't read and don't care about)

As ever the Bufton-Tuftons and Greasy-Beasties paid to be in t'house were largely absent while this comedy legislation was hammered through in a couple of hours, but enough of the Honourables showed up to make it perfectly clear that the big-enders vs. little-enders battle has been put on hold when it comes to shoring up the collapsing control of the media representative organisations (the "channel" as we like to think of it) with little regard to the representatives of the "content" side of the equation. Musicians, film makers, writers, photographers and all those with whom they wish to share their work.

(Your correspondent has been giving music away gladly for 30 years)

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