The BBC's Newsnight will this evening investigate the tricky subject of online piracy. But those expecting a 'typical' rollicking for the record industry might be surprised - as Google's refusal to automatically de-list search results for illegal filesharing sites looks set to be fiercely questioned.
BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones will interview industry figures such as Alastair Nicholson, who runs small independent UK hip-hop label Son Records.
According to a new description of the programme from Cellan-Jones, Nicholson's label has 'battled' to remain in operation over the past decade. In that time, the independent exec has witnessed piracy decimating his sales, not least of recent priority release - the LP Genghis by Cappo and Stylee C.
Nicholson attempted to prevent the illegal spread of the copyright album by releasing it solely on vinyl, which worked - for a while. But when the time came to release it more widely, things took a turn for the worse.
"The day after the release when it had become simultaneously available on all the download sites I was just horrified," he tells the BBC. "I did a search for the artist name and the album titles and it was just page after page of file shares and free downloads and I didn't get to anything legitimate until the bottom of the fifth or sixth page."
Although Nicholson doesn't blame Google directly for the popularity of piracy, he questions the platform's possible "lack of a moral viewpoint". The BPI has vocally campaigned for Google to delist links to copyright material on torrent sites - and will surely do so during Newsnight.
Meanwhile, insiders at labels have long complained to Music Week that national media coverage of the matter often falls back on antiquated arguments about music's "fat cats" being supposedly selfish for questioning the actions of younger, thriving technology companies.
Could tonight's Newsnight - screening at 10.30pm on BBC Two - offer a more balanced take?
Cellan-Jones himself has already challenged his audience online: "I suspect that many of you reading this will come down on Google's side. After all the music industry is hugely powerful, and has been ripping off consumers for years, right? Who are they to take the moral high ground?
"But don't forget that Google now earns about three times as much in the UK as the entire music industry. And if you think the call for action against the firm comes exclusively from bloated record industry executives who deserve no sympathy, listen to Alastair Nicholson..."
Google's Theo Bertram has already been quoted by the Beeb disputing Nicholson's point: "I'm happy to say Google doesn't support piracy and does support freedom of expression... Those are not in conflict."
Read Cellan-Jones' full blog about the programme through here.
Newsnight will air tonight, 10.30pm, on BBC Two.
Advertisement
