It has been announced today that Google, the parent company of YouTube and PRS Music, the trade body responsible for collecting music royalties, have a peace deal to allow the website to unblock music videos. The 6 month wrangle has fundamentally unsurprisingly revolved around payment with Google claiming PRS were charging exorbitant payment terms and therefore denying the British public with access to music videos.
The deal now shows the possibilities that exist with compromise. Whilst it is all very well that Lord Mandelson is promising to stop internet connections for users of Pirate websites many within the music industry, including Damon Albarn, Sir Paul and Sir Elton have gone on record to suggest that this is not a solution, merely a costly and ultimately futile attempt to control the problem of piracy.
The fact that YouTube and PRS have struck a deal gives hope to many inside the industry that similar deals can be struck with pirate companies making music accessible to all and yet still allowing the members of PRS to get paid.
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