Over my dead body..

Svenska Dagbladet has an interview with Peter Sunde, one of the accused in the Pirate Bay trial that has it's verdict today.

At the end of the article the discussion moves to whether or not artists and authors lose out from spreading work on the internet. According to Peter studies show that they can in fact earn more by Internet distribution. But that only applies to the artists and authors - publishers (literary and musical) lose out by being cut out of the loop. And therein lies the nub of current conflict. The middle men that take the lion's share by controlling the channels of distribution.

"The big problem is that a few big companies have become oligopolies. Take authors for example. To get somewhere they have to turn to a publisher because they are sitting on all the distribution contracts. Or musicians: they need to have a contract with a record company to get played on the radio. They don't really have a choice."

The internet can offer a new deal for authors and artists to reach their public.. but only if the vested interests of the media industry step aside..

..which is where the title comes in.....