AIM Issues Digital Copyright Manifesto

UK trade group, the Association For Independent Music (AIM) has published "Copyright In the Digital Age," calling for a copyright infrastructure better suited to fit current and future conditions. According to AIM:

• Digital is fundamentally a format shift which has changed the entire value chain - creation, production, distribution and consumption.
• Governments need to acknowledge this and support the growth of the creative industry through copyright law written to handle an evolving digital age.
• New monetization methods are needed for new usages and models of consumption.
• Some businesses which "depend greatly on facilitating consumers access to, and ability to copy and share" music as well as consumers "enjoy their respective benefits while copyright owners cannot claim a fair share of this value chain".

For AIM and much of the UK music industry, those profiting from music but paying less than they should extend beyond online services to include device manufacturers like Apple, as well as, ISP's. And while it is a detailed call to action, the 24 page manifesto offers little in the way of specific solutions.

The position paper can be downloaded here. Read it and tell us what you think.