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I’m a huge music fan and love all live music even though I’m not a musician myself, which has led some commentators to unkindly suggest that's why I’m really into heavy metal! I’m very proud of the fact that the UK is one of only three net exporters of music around the world – along with Sweden and the US. It’s great that the rest of the world loves our music so much.
In the past I’ve worked for music industry veteran Pete Waterman and also at a film licensing company, which is where I really started to get interested in intellectual property (IP) rights. When I was first elected to parliament in 2010 it struck me that very few MPs knew what IP was, let alone understood its importance. So we set up Rock the House, alongside other awareness initiatives, to encourage MPs to understand its significance. Eventually I must’ve made so much noise that David Cameron thought he should get me on board as his Advisor.
In the past there has been a movement in Britain towards giving away important IP rights, so the fact that he’s appointed me means there’s a further check in place to stop that erosion. I see my role as part of the counterbalance – both in Europe and the UK.
To that end, there are three cornerstones to my new role. The first is to recognise the importance of education. With Rock the House I wanted to educate MPs, but our education drive has got to be much bigger than that. It’s now about getting the public to understand the importance of IP too.
I hope to work with the music industry and others to assemble a taskforce of people that can help organise a cohesive counter to current arguments surrounding intellectual property erosion. I think in some respects we’ve lost the public relations war. A lot of people don’t respect copyright and think music should be free. Let’s correct that.
The reality is that 85 percent of PRS for Music songwriter and composer members earn less £15,000 a year. These creators are struggling to make a living yet they should be able earn a decent income from their work.
I’m aiming to co-opt worthwhile events that will help spread the word, from educational sessions in schools and colleges to wider forums and public debates. I’ve spoken to so many industry bodies and I hope they’re able to commit some resources behind such an initiative in the new year.
Secondly, I’m looking at the ‘carrot’ – the business models that can entice people away from illegal filesharing. I think that current models need to change. An asking price of £10 per album worked in the physical market when people might have owned 100 records. But these days, people want access to thousands of albums and pay a tenth for them. Services like Spotify, which offer music for rent, are a really good example of a shift in business models to better suit public appetite for music.
Once we get the educational message right and improve the business models, then we should use ‘the stick’ – and that’s where the government comes in. David Cameron has asked me to look at enforcement particularly, but in my view we can’t look at that until we get the first two points right.
So how will I know if I’m effective in my new role? Well I guess the clearest performance indicator of my success will be – ‘are artists being paid for their work?’ At the moment we’ve seen a decline in their earnings and a complete disrespect for their work. If we can halt that decline and encourage people back into the industry we will have succeeded in our mission.
I firmly believe that intellectual property rights are important for the economy, important for creativity and important for entrepreneurship. I look forward to working hard to promote these principles during 2014 and beyond.
Mike Weatherley has been Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade since 2010. He is an active member of the All-Party Parliamentary Intellectual Property Group and within the first year of holding his seat he launched the national parliament-linked music competition, Rock the House.
The annual contest sees MPs nominate the best live musicians and music venues from their constituencies. Any songwriter or composer who is currently unsigned and interested in taking part should email their local MPs to enter. More information can be found at rockthehousehoc.com
Read our interview with Mike Weatherley
In the past I’ve worked for music industry veteran Pete Waterman and also at a film licensing company, which is where I really started to get interested in intellectual property (IP) rights. When I was first elected to parliament in 2010 it struck me that very few MPs knew what IP was, let alone understood its importance. So we set up Rock the House, alongside other awareness initiatives, to encourage MPs to understand its significance. Eventually I must’ve made so much noise that David Cameron thought he should get me on board as his Advisor.
In the past there has been a movement in Britain towards giving away important IP rights, so the fact that he’s appointed me means there’s a further check in place to stop that erosion. I see my role as part of the counterbalance – both in Europe and the UK.
To that end, there are three cornerstones to my new role. The first is to recognise the importance of education. With Rock the House I wanted to educate MPs, but our education drive has got to be much bigger than that. It’s now about getting the public to understand the importance of IP too.
I hope to work with the music industry and others to assemble a taskforce of people that can help organise a cohesive counter to current arguments surrounding intellectual property erosion. I think in some respects we’ve lost the public relations war. A lot of people don’t respect copyright and think music should be free. Let’s correct that.
The reality is that 85 percent of PRS for Music songwriter and composer members earn less £15,000 a year. These creators are struggling to make a living yet they should be able earn a decent income from their work.
I’m aiming to co-opt worthwhile events that will help spread the word, from educational sessions in schools and colleges to wider forums and public debates. I’ve spoken to so many industry bodies and I hope they’re able to commit some resources behind such an initiative in the new year.
Secondly, I’m looking at the ‘carrot’ – the business models that can entice people away from illegal filesharing. I think that current models need to change. An asking price of £10 per album worked in the physical market when people might have owned 100 records. But these days, people want access to thousands of albums and pay a tenth for them. Services like Spotify, which offer music for rent, are a really good example of a shift in business models to better suit public appetite for music.
Once we get the educational message right and improve the business models, then we should use ‘the stick’ – and that’s where the government comes in. David Cameron has asked me to look at enforcement particularly, but in my view we can’t look at that until we get the first two points right.
So how will I know if I’m effective in my new role? Well I guess the clearest performance indicator of my success will be – ‘are artists being paid for their work?’ At the moment we’ve seen a decline in their earnings and a complete disrespect for their work. If we can halt that decline and encourage people back into the industry we will have succeeded in our mission.
I firmly believe that intellectual property rights are important for the economy, important for creativity and important for entrepreneurship. I look forward to working hard to promote these principles during 2014 and beyond.
Mike Weatherley has been Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade since 2010. He is an active member of the All-Party Parliamentary Intellectual Property Group and within the first year of holding his seat he launched the national parliament-linked music competition, Rock the House.
The annual contest sees MPs nominate the best live musicians and music venues from their constituencies. Any songwriter or composer who is currently unsigned and interested in taking part should email their local MPs to enter. More information can be found at rockthehousehoc.com
Read our interview with Mike Weatherley
