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# Op-Ed: Jon Webster, CEO Music Managers Forum
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/op-ed-jon-webst/
- Published: 2008-04-22T06:50:31.000Z
- Updated: 2008-04-22T06:50:31.000Z
- Description: IN SUPPORT OF A UK I-POD TAX Music Manager Forum CEO Jon Webster responds to my commentary last week critical of a proposed UK tax on manufacturers whose devices enable . Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2008/04/op-ed-jon-webst.html]
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Uncategorized, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 11:06

**IN SUPPORT OF A UK I-POD TAX**

**Music Manager Forum CEO Jon Webster responds to [my commentary](http://hypebot.typepad.com/hypebot/2008/04/uk-music-trade.html?ref=hypebot.com) last week critical of a proposed UK tax on manufacturers whose devices enable format shifting – tracks copied from one device to another including for personal use.**

[![Jon_webster_4](https://hypebot.typepad.com/hypebot/images/2008/04/22/jon_webster_4.gif "Jon_webster_4")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/04/22/jon%5Fwebster%5F4.gif&ref=hypebot.com)

  
I am one of the members of the UK Music Business Group that proposed licensing device manufacturers who benefit from format shifting.

The music industry contains as well as the major record companies, other labels big and small, self releasing artists, songwriters (with and without publishers), artists, paid session musicians, music producers, studio technicians, collecting societies etc etc.

We, as constituent parts of the music industry, seldom agree but when we do as on licensing and the payment for format shifting it should carry some weight. We effectively are representing everyone in the value chain. And that is our point.

There is huge value in the ability to format shift. Yes when a consumer  
has purchased a CD they should have the ability to legally make copies  
across different formats for their listening pleasure. This has not  
been the situation as it has been technically illegal in many countries  
but no-one has been prosecuted for those transgressions.

There is already an "I-Pod" tax in 25 European countries and it has  
been so for many years. The proceeds are distributed in 25 different  
ways – some are good, some are less so but they should all be  
transparent and fair. And it would be better if they were the same. And  
they should reward the creators in all parts of the chain. We are  
totally aware that those parts of the chain are rapidly changing with  
the shortest being that an artist creates on a laptop and communicates  
that product directly to the consumer.

We are proposing a license so that the people whose creativity  
effectively sells music carriers are rewarded in some way. Surely that  
is fair?

We live in a digital world where no-one has to pay for music if they  
don’t want. Yet those who manufacture devices that store this  
creativity or transmit files over their bandwidth seem to be blind to  
what is happening whilst making billions of dollars from the process.

We know that most of the music on MP3 devices is not ripped from  
personal copies but rather illegally downloaded or side loaded from  
other peoples CDs.

It is easy to say that there are new models for monetizing music but  
what are they? Should Kate Bush be forced to tour and sell merch to  
make some income ? Why can’t she just be a recording artists and have  
some expectation of seeing some reward for it?

When you sit on a train or a bus and pick up a discarded newspaper that  
was either paid for or a free sheet funded by advertising do you enjoy  
reading it? Doesn’t it have a value? Doesn’t music obtained for free or  
moved from computer to car to portable device have a value as well?

In the immortal words of Peter Gabriel – "the same process that stops  
me earning another dollar from Sledgehammer is the process that stops a  
starving musician in Mali making a living". This is far from being  
about the RIAA and fat cats. This is about some of the value in the  
chain being passed on to the people who created it. You won’t even  
notice it in the price of your device – but many, many artists will.

  
**Jon Webster CEO MMF**