Facing the music

The internet piracy debate has intensified recently, with musicians group the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) hitting out at proposals to suspend illegal file sharers' internet connections.

FAC board member and Blur drummer Dave Rowntree compared them to "cracking a nut with a sledgehammer".

In a refreshing example of a musician making a nuanced and insightful observation, he told The Guardian: "Given that the music industry has managed to monetise the playing of music in all other ways, it's not beyond the greatest creative minds on the planet to monetise this one too."

But Fran Nevrkla, head of music industry body the PPL complained that the FAC's stance made "all of us look like a bunch of Charlies".

"This is more than unhelpful -it's destructive," he added.

Musician's Union general secretary John Smith called the FAC's approach "counterproductive" and "a bit blinkered".

This is all way above my head, Dear Reader. The last music I bought was an 8-track of Tubular Bells.