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Paul McGuinness, longtime manager of rock band U2, has called on Internet service providers to immediately introduce disconnection policies to end illegal music downloads and urged governments to make sure they do…
He spread the blame between record labels that “through lack of foresight and planning allowed a range of industries to arise that let people steal music”; Silicon Valley companies that create marvelous devices but “don’t think of themselves as makers of burglary kits”; and governments who “created a thieves’ charter” by agreeing that ISPs should not be responsible for what passes along their pipes…
To great applause from the audience of music managers, McGuinness insisted that disconnection enforcement would work. “I call on ISPs to do two things. First, protect the music, and second, to make a genuine effort to share the enormous revenues. They should share their ingenuity as well as the money. We must shame them. Their snouts have been at our trough for too long.”
Does McGuinness have a clue about how the Internet works? Where does he see this boatload of folks paying extra to their ISP because they’re downloading music?
Why, Mr. McGuinness, you probably should talk to Metallica before proceeding much further…
U-clueless-2. Too much cocaine causes brain rot y’know.
This is appaulingly stupid, and it’s sad that it comes from the manager of my all-time favourite band. I’m not sure even the band members themselves would share his views.
Yes because it is the government’s problem if a band isn’t making their 6 cents a song. Whiny rich jackass.
#3 I’m quite sure U2 the band does not share his view.
I find it appalling that music execs & managers make money by enforcing slavery on music bands.
Sharing music is not stealing music.
Local radio stations share music with me for free all the time. I overhear my daughter’s music from her paid-for CD stereo system.
The music execs want to kill Internet Radio by forcing a huge royalty penalty, compared to FM radio.
Yet FM radio is heard by millions in a city, difficult to know exactly how many.
When you stream from Internet Radio, you know the exact number of users and which “channels” for “how long”.
If anything, Internet Radio should be the wave of the future and so cheap, thus easily ad-supported, that we won’t even WANT to store a gazillion files. Let alone share those files.
U2 is no longer relevant. Its not the 90s anymore.
Crap. Someone went and showed gq how to read a calendar. Does that mean an end to 18th Century political commentary? 🙂
If the manager wants ISPs to be responsible for what its clients are using the internet fir, then shouldn’t U2 and U2’s manager be responsible for everything anyone does while listening to U2’s songs? A little bit of Helter Skelter, maybe?
Sheesh, next thing you know, they’ll be recommending telephone lines be monitored… oh.
Dear Mr. McGuinness,
No.
To quote your clients Mr.McGuinness, the internet moves on, “With Or Without You”. Based on your stance, it will without you/U2
“Does McGuinness have a clue about how the Internet works?”
Of course he doesnt. Just as we who do know how it works dont know how to manage shitty bands.
Yeah, the broadband providers are making most of the money nowadays. Comcast is even adding an extra tier for higher download speeds which probably has plenty of downloaders. This is kind of like Tivo vs the networks, with Tivo collecting about $10 a month so you can skip the networks’ ads.
This is innaccurate. This is actually the tribute band “YouTwo”.
#7
your comment “U2 is no longer relevant. Its not the 90s anymore.”
Shows your ignorance.
U2 is still considered the best band in the world by many critics, other bands, and music fans. An “no longer relevant band” does not tour and earn $355 million.
I am sure Paul McGuinness was speaking as a businessman on this topic. Bands and singers are making art and have to get paid for their work. I can not just come to your Burger King have you make me a Whopper and leave without paying. I do not expect U2 (or any entertainer) to go the studio and record songs and then I go find them for free online.
Dvorak was right on the last “TWIT” when he said to really support a music artist is to go see them in concert.
Ah, ya gotta love Limousine Liberals in action.
Actually, I could give a shit. I listen to Clannad, not U2. And I buy their music at retail. Whatever they get out of it, they’ve earned.
“Best band in the world,” eh? Whatever. If “critics” say so, it must be true.
Certainly puts those amateur hacks in the Beatles, the Dead, Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd in their places, huh?
As soon as bands put out music actually worth paying for, then I’ll agree with this Luddite.
Sharing music with friends is one thing. Allowing thousands of unknown people to download your music isn’t really sharing. Add to this that a lot of these sites make money off of subscriptions and ad revenue and basically it’s stealing.
If you allow a few of your friends to download the latest and greatest, I don’t see the problem. Nobody is making money off of it and it’s no different than burning cds or copying cassettes and giving them to a few friends.
But if you open up some crappy garage or basement store and you burn a thousand CDs, advertise that you are giving them away, and then make money off of other things like people buying a drink or purchasing whatever other junk you’re selling, you’re technically making money by advertising those CDs. You aren’t selling them, but you are making a profit because of them. And a lot of these sites are technically doing the same thing..
Most people just download, listen and don’t care. It really isn’t a big deal except for the fact the music and movie industry is greedy. Heck the writers are fighting over revenues that for the most part, don’t exist yet online for most of these crappy shows and movies. But the sites and torrents that allow the downloading is a problem. Because many do indeed make money off of music or movies in an indirect way.
When was there last hit song. They are simply riding off the fame they had in the 90s. Bono is a washed up douche if you ask me. Even South Park made fun of him, equating him to a giant, talking turd.
This guy and Bono are both tools. Get a life
#19 U2, at the 2006 Grammys took home Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and three lesser Grammys.
http://tinyurl.com/2o97r6
Fsck Bono, he makes enough money. Seriously go get back on your private jet and go save starving kids you greedy bostard.
I wouldn’t waste the bandwidth to download their crap anyway.
#24
Amen!
#15
“your comment “U2 is no longer relevant. Its not the 90s anymore.”
Shows your ignorance.”
Awwww poor widdle Mikey! I bet him wikes to pway wif Barbie Dolls too!
#21, Gig,
Ya, I agree. Damn shame the state of the music industry. A choice between some washed up ’80s band and a bunch of unintelligible “rappers”.
U2 manager says ISP’s must disconnect file sharers – hand over revenue!
No, I’m not holding my breath.
http://techdirt.com/articles/20080129/134719110.shtml
I LOVE that the internet is ALL OVER THE WORLD, and each nation has its OWN laws..
#18… You do have a point about the torrent sites… But, what the heck does that have to do with ISPs??? ISP means Internet Service Provider, the company that provides you physical online access to the internet, you know, stuff like cable, ADSL, etc…. Why should they pay because of the torrent sites?
For that matter, since I pay for my internet access AND for my iTunes music, if the labels would be able of charging ISPs, ISPs would pass that down to the consumer… Then I’d be paying for both the music I listen AND to the music I DON’T steal! Would that be fair??? Probably I’d need to steal so I’d pay once again and restore fairness.
Well some of you may know Matt and Trey tried to tell us Bonno doesn’t just hold the record for Taking the biggest crap he is the record!!! well it pains me to correct them But I can say this Mr Paul McGuinness has taken the record from Boner! Mr. Paul McGuinness is the Record for the biggest piece of Crap!