Cory Doctorow writes far superior op-ed pieces than fiction, and this one in The Guardian is a beautiful eulogy for the music industry. The music industry has struck a Faustian pact with ISPs to monitor copyright infringements, violating privacy and probably doing itself no favors with the public or its shareholders.
What it needs to do is simply work out an all-you-can-eat license for the ISPs that they could pass on to their customers. I’d happily have $10 or more added to my monthly cable Internet bill so that I can freely download songs. I currently purchase them “by the drink” on iTunes, but a blanket license would be easier.
It would also return control to the music labels, control that they’ve ceded to Apple.
Cory writes:
Under the new scheme, the rule of law is replaced by a cosy inter-industry deal. Whereas before, anyone who wanted your ISP to spy on your world wide web connection would have had to show evidence to a judge and get a court order, now any joker who claims to be an aggrieved copyright holder can do so.
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