In a letter to Music Week, leading UK promoters have written that they want to add their “support to the proposed action by the Business Secretary Peter Mandelson to curb illegal P2P filesharing of recorded music”.

The government remains committed to pushing for the toughest possible measures to be employed against illegal filesharers.

There has been fallout and much disagreement within the industry on the issue of late, and particularly ahead of the recent deadline for submissions to the P2P filesharing consultation. The Featured Artists Coalition has taken a separate stance from UK Music and their member org’s but that difference has now narrowed as both FAC and UK Music finalised their positions.

Both sides now favour technical measures against filesharers with UK Music supporting the temporary suspension of the broadband accounts of persistent offenders.

Now the live sector has made it’s voice heard on the issue stating, “We all realise investment in and development of new artists is necessary to help create the live superstars for the decades to come. To secure this investment it is essential money be made from selling recorded music physically or digitally and we feel it is only right that the investors in this development and the artists themselves are fairly recompensed for their work”.

SJM Concerts MD Simon Moran added that promoters need to “stand up and be counted”. This is not a crusade for record companies. The live industry wouldn’t be great if we gave tickets away for free."