Money Don't Matter 2NIte

Now. Before I should start I should really state my position clearly. I love Prince. I love him as a musician, as an artist, as a dancer, as an icon. His output is one of the truly great wonders of the musical world and I would place him very near the top, if not at the very top, of my all-time favourite list. Who else has performed so consistently in creating some of the finest long-players and singles over a near 30 year period. His commitment to innovation and funkiness is unsurpassed, and for that we thank him. But my affection is tainted this week with the downright confusing news that Prince has chosen to sue his own fans for breach of copyright on the internet.

Now, the issue of artistic and intellectual property rights on the world-wide web is undoubtedly thorny, and the licensing battles form Napster through to youtube have shown that a status quo is far from established. However, recently there have been signs that the music industry is coming to terms with, and even embracing, the brave new online world, whether in streaming content, working viable download models, or establishing co-licensing agreements. And in many ways leading the field was His Purpleness himself, with Prince one of the first artists to see his music direct to fans online, whether in recorded form or through live casts. But now he is suing three of the largest fansites on the web - housequake.com, prince.org and princefans.com - forcing them to remove all photographs, images, lyrics, album covers and anything linked to the artist's likeness, or show ways of compensating the Paisley Park estate.

The sites have formed Prince Fans United to fight the order, and while respectful of copyright are calling some of the demands unreasonable, and some even illegal, to which I would tend to agree. They also say the move is an attempt by Prince to stifle all critical commentary, which seems to carry some weight, given his demands that Prince-inspired tattoos and car license plates be removed. He even threatened to sue a Pennsylvanian woman for posting a picture of her baby dancing to Let's Go Crazy on youtube. Seriously!! Does he need the money that much?! I know it is not just about money, but the fans, online or off, deserve better than this, especially given the support that successful fansites give to a man whose career has gone slightly leftfield. Industry insiders will watch with interest to see where the story runs, but the smart money is on Prince once again angering and confusing those outside his direct circle, at a time when the trend online is for more social interaction. I for one will download his stuff for free with glee from here on in.