Blur, Radiohead and Pink Floyd are among the bands calling on the UK government to abandon proposals to cut off the Internet connections of people who illegally download music.

They are part of the Featured Artists Coalition - an organization that campaigns for the protection of performers' and musicians' rights. The video above features The Boxer Rebellion explaining why they support the group.

Here's what a few members have to say:

• "My generation grew up with the point of view that you pay for your music. Every generation has a different method," said Ed O’Brien, guitarist with Radiohead. "File sharing is like a sampler, like taping your mate’s music. What’s going on is a huge paradigm shift.”
• "The fact that file sharing goes on, and is as popular as it is, is an incredibly positive thing for the music industry," said Blur's Dave Rowntree. "The fact is that music is so popular that people are willing to break the law to get it."
• "The last thing we want to be doing is going to war with our fan base," said Pink Floyd's Nick Mason. "File sharing means a new generation of fans for us."

FAC members argue that, despite the damage that file sharing does to sales, it can also encourage people to buy tickets and merchandise.

Links:

• Coverage in the Telegraph
• The Featured Artists Coalition

James Lewin
Twitter @podcasting_news

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