The music industry (not the bands) bloodily flopped and they try to camouflage that. Imagine: in 2006 Universal music had a drop in sales of about 33-35% - a drop regarding ALL genres... That's the background of such words spoken by McGuinness.

In general industry doesn't like changes, especially when it's about profits. That's why people like McGuinness are thinking and speaking about restrictions. In fact it's dictation, a censorship of the internet, a censorship of freedom.

Thoughts like McGuinness mentioned should alert everyone out there, a fortiori if you're not a file sharer at all. Dictation has only one aim: to create slaves, spineless consumers. That will affect everyone, not only filesharing. I think I don't have to mention that such Nazi-like behaviour is absolutely against what music is representing.

U2 destroyed also one of the best independent labels (SST) with a copyright lawsuit. There are complent cu**s.
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@Florian: Amen to everything you wrote above.

It astounds me that people like Paul McGuinness have the audacity to stand as a representative for what is apparently fair considering the position they hold. And also to expect anything other than reciprocation with scepticism and disbelief like this in response to what is essentially the publication of a means to more money in their own pocket. If the labels are looking to do anything other than spread their reputation as a bunch of moneygrabbing tasteless whores, perhaps using the spokesperson of the most successful band in the world to do so is somewhat of a mistake. I'm so sick of these guys sitting on their high horse looking for empathy from the little guys. And for fear of nullifying my argument, I'll leave my thoughts on the band out of it...

ahem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EDuK46ZqFM

Firstly, to think that in ten years, one year goes by on the internet is obviously a mistake, I am sure he meant 1 year in the real world is a decade on the Internet.

U2 is a perfect example of why the record industry is failing. They have been around for 100 years and have released 100 records. Who can afford to keep up with these jerks when the music they are releasing now is tripe in comparison to what they were releasing 20 years ago.

Bands like the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Joy Division (the list goes on and on), didn't sell that many albums, but made a huge impact on music. Where would U2 be without Ian Curtis? Probably in a barber shop quartet. Thankfully, bands that made good music and didn't make much money (or died) made good albums, and left the scene (somewhat).

That's what we need. Just because you have more money than Africa, doesn't mean you can stick around and make crappy albums till the end of time. They suck, get over it.

ah man, i guess we just have to wait until the generation shit is more advanced and these old stupid pricks reincarnate.

This argument is like demanding the local transportation authority take responsibility for illegal goods transported on their highways. Absurd! It's well past time for the music industry to wake up to reality and learn to start using technology for their own marketing and promotional benefit instead of complaining about the inevitable and ultimately uncontrollable sharing of music files.