David Lammy goes Hollywood

As if Mandelson not-saying-anything-on-that-yacht wasn't shaming enough, this week has also seen the pitiable sight of David Lammy telling the MPAA that the UK government sees its job as protecting multinational paid-for copyrights ahead of the needs of British people or culture. Billboard reports on his trip to Washington:

Lammy said that he favors "freedom" but stressed that it didn't mean free, and he called for more effective law enforcement as well as cooperation between the U.K. and U.S.

He said that the new option to suspend accounts was proof that the government is "not standing still" on the issue of P2P.

Lammy said that "new work against illicit P2P file-sharing, including possible suspension of Internet access for persistent infringers" showed that government is "sending a clear message: when it comes to piracy and infringement, 'digital is not different.'"

But digital is different, David. If it wasn't, you wouldn't need to be coming up with new rules, would you?

"Partnership and innovation by businesses can help consumers understand the problems illegal downloads cause creators and performers, giving them the knowledge and confidence they need to act within the law," said Lammy. "If we provide the right combination of enforcement, education and forward-looking policy we can build a culture that provides consumers with legitimate access to the content they want."

Consumers need confidence to act within the law? Did you read your speech back before you delivered it, David? And if you did, when you got to that point, did you have a picture of what these consumers - too anxious to operate within the law - firmly in your mind? Hovering around the entrance to the iTunes store afeared of what might happen?

You really believe there is a significant number of people who are using bittorrent because they're not confident about the licensed option?

Lammy also commented on the complexity surrounding licensing and rights clearance for digital services, insisting that it needs to change.

"The conclusion is obvious - clear and simple systems for rights clearance and permission will benefit everyone," he said.

Well, that's good - although that obvious conclusion seems to have dropped off the bit of paperwork where the Treasury shouts and proposes its throwing weight around.