Megatrax Blog

In response to the music licensing issues sweeping the UK, one governing body is suggesting indicators on music used online, which will alert visitors to whether or not the music has been licensed properly.

Reports Dinah Greek for Computer Act!ve:

A music-licensing body wants it made easier for people to know if material on websites breaches copyright law.
The Performing Rights Society for Music (PRSM) is suggesting a “traffic light” system for when a person carries out an internet search. The idea is an icon or mark, such as a red tick warning of illegal hosting and a green tick for legitimate content, appears in a link next to a site.
Earlier this year the Hargreaves report said that consumers could not always tell “whether a music service is providing copyright material illegally unless the supplier chooses to put the skull and crossbones on its mainsail like The Pirate Bay”.
Barney Hooper of the PRSM told us that this non-threatening, non-legislative approach could appeal to people’s honesty as well as letting them know if they can safely download content from a site.