Duff McKagan Backs Controversial Internet Legislation

In his latest blog on Seattle Weekly, McKagan says that  "as a practicing musician who has seen his industry turned upside down, and see how piracy has hurt every artist from chart-toppers to indie start-ups, this PIPA upheaval is a slap in the face." 

"The legislation's meant to combat theft of creative works like movies and music from overseas web sites. But when I turned to the Twitter and Facebook, I saw an overwhelming dog pile of support against the bills. Excuse me, but where were you all when piracy started to decimate the music industry? Why didn't you take a stand against that? Those free records felt good, huh?"

He goes on: "When it comes to creative industries, we're not talking in the hypothetical. Recording studios all around the world have had to close. So have record stores. Movie studios have suffered. Many, many jobs have been lost. Many peoples' livelihoods have been affected. The people who make or who have made money from record sales are not the "bad guy," the pirater and the stealer are. Period. So, where's the public outcry?

"As a practicing musician who has seen his industry turned upside down, and see how piracy has hurt every artist from chart-toppers to indie start-ups, this PIPA upheaval is a slap in the face."

The PIPA/SOPA legislation made the news last week when Wikipedia shut its English language site for 24 hours in protest. Critics suggest that the laws will allow Internet Providers and the government to shut down any website that even links to another website that has a links to online piracy.

You can read the whole of Duff's blog HERE