New EMI Digital Music Chief: 'Suing File-Sharers Not Sustainable Policy'

Former Google CIO also says that file-sharing may actually be a "good thing.

"EMI may just be the record label that pulls the music industry kicking and screaming into the 21st century. After being acquired by private equity from Terra Firma in the middle of last year it was quick to slash jobs and cut costs associated with the old physical media distribution model. It then subsequently questioned not only the practice of suing its own customers, but in particular those that are single mothers, children, handicapped, disabled veterans, or even deceased. To this end it made the RIAA and IFPI copyright holder lobbying organizations justify EMI's continued membership in both. Each reportedly complied and vowed to streamline their operations as well as narrow the focus of their purpose.

Now EMI may just ruffle some feathers even further by naming former Google CIO Douglas Merrill the name chief of EMI's new digital unit. His role will be to oversee all of the company's digital strategy, innovation, business development, supply chain and global technology activities.

The move is significant because it places somebody with a technology background and no music sales experience in charge of a new unit dedicated to the future of music distribution.It places a person who self professes to be "passionate about data" in charge of the future of the music industry - digital distribution.

This "passion" means that he's even remarkably aware of the data out there "...that shows that file sharing is actually good for artists," he says. "Not bad for artists. So maybe we shouldn't be stopping it all the time. I don't know...I am generally speaking (against suing fans). Obviously, there is piracy that is quite destructive but again I think the data shows that in some cases file sharing might be okay. What we need to do is understand when is it good, when it is not good...Suing fans doesn't feel like a winning strategy."

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