Imagine if stores charged you a shoplifting fee...

There's an interesting development in the UK regarding the issue of music piracy on the internet.

Based on the music industry’s research, every song downloaded equals one lost sale. This fantasy forms the basis for the entire following situation. Losses to online piracy will amount to $320 million in the UK for 2009. Labelling the claims 'melodramatic', the boss of a UK ISP warned that proposed measures to tackle these supposed losses would cost $583 million per year. The UK government has admitted that the costs will amount to $799 million. Naturally, these costs will be passed on to the consumer. UK ISPs say that meddling with accounts at the behest of the music industry will add $40 to an annual subscription. An ISP boss called the plans 'collective punishment that goes against natural justice'. It may also drive the poorest folks offline.

British music earned over $6 billion in 2008. The UK's new anti-piracy scheme is destined to bring them $3 billion extra in media sales over the next 10 years (assuming every pirate download prevented results in a music sale). But of course, all they're going to get, is angry music customers (and even non-customers) that have to pay an ISP fee. Which most internet users are going to see as a 'Music industry surcharge'.

Let’s see how that affects piracy. The attitudes of people will change to (quite rightly) that they feel they should at least be getting some music for their money. Pirating will increase dramatically.

And this is why they fail.