Feargal Sharkey: No Internet Ban For Illegal Music Downloaders

Feargal Sharkey has dismissed reports suggesting that illegal  music downloaders will be banned from the internet under new government reforms.

As reported on Gigwise yesterday details of a report set to be delivered to the government next week were leaked by the Times.

According to the newspaper the Green Paper suggests a ‘three strikes’ rule to deal with people who persistently download music an films  illegally from the internet.

However, speaking to 6 Music Sharkey said: "I can categorically say this to my certain knowledge: there has never been any discussion about banning people off websites and all that stuff that's been talked about.

“The Government have said over the last three or four months that illegal downloading is a major problem. But the Government have made it very clear it would be very helpful if both the music industry and the ISP's (Internet Service Providers) could sit down and create a whole new mechanism.

"I would caution people, from my own experience, this stuff changes twice on any given day. And what might have been in that document this morning, even if it hadn't been leaked, I can guarantee you, it might not still be there at lunchtime on Friday!"

The former Undertones singer is currently heading up the British Music Rights organisation and was previously in charge of Live Music Forum.

As part of that role he last year delivered a report to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on several key areas affecting modern music including the protection of live venues.

Adding his own views on illegal downloading he said: "The whole thing is a vicious circle right now. Does it cheapen respect for music? Yes it does.

“I think people have got to understand that if they genuinely want and love music, that they need to pay the same kind of respect as they would expect their own employer to pay to them.

"I don't know anybody in the world that wants to turn up to work every day and not get paid at the end of the week. But we're asking musicians and songwriters to do exactly that."