How are we ever going to build new copyright legislation if the public is kept in the dark?

I’ve just done something a bit odd. I watched Jonathan Ross’ Film 2009 on BBC1 and then called the duty officer (well, invested 50p on directory assistance to get the duty officer’s number). He’s not called the duty officer anymore and doesn’t have a phone number as such… In today’s BBC one uses the internet to do these things :-)

I just posted the following comment on the official complaints site:

To whom it may concern: I would like to complain about the segment on copyright theft in tonight's Jonathan Ross film 2009. I have three specific complaints.

1. The piece was not balanced and presents a one-sided view. All quotes were from film-industry representatives and all opinions reflect those of powerful copyright lobbyists such as the RIAA and MPAA
2. The segment failed to discuss the relevant and significant trend that many, many law-abiding, tax-paying, child-rearing citizens are deciding to exercise their fair-use rights under copyright legislation. These citizens are trying to effect democratic change and create better and fairer copyright law. The segment derides their activities as plainly criminal
3. The segment repeats a number of damaging and discredited clichés and makes no effort to explain any of the issues beyond those clichés. In particular, the phrase "piracy is killing the film industry" is repeated in a couple of formats.

Just as video didn't kill Hollywood and home taping did not kill the music industry, the market forces and technical, cultural and economic ecosystems in which the players in the copyright wars are currently fighting are complex and deserve a measured, in-depth explanation. I expect no less of the BBC.

and as I was looking for the details Google let me to the fabulous “home sewing” graphic :-) The artwork and blog post it goes with are the work of Bo Peterson from Malmö, Sweden (thanks Bo).