The BPI will receive £3 million from UK record companies and performers to fight piracy in 2014.

This little-debated stat was unveiled at PPL’s AGM last month. The collection society invited label representatives to voice any cause for alarm over the figure, but no protestation was offered. It was, resoundingly, rubber-stamped.

Scanning around the room, I appeared to be the only one even a little bit rocked by it. So at the risk of more solitary bewilderment, let me kick ...