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Lindsay McDougall

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Lindsay McDougall, guitarist with Australian punk rockers Frenzal Rhomb and radio presenter at Triple J, was only too happy to appear in a video about ‘trying to survive as an Australian musician’. What McDougall claims he didn’t realise was that the 10-minute film was actually part of an anti-piracy campaign to be distributed for free to every high school in Australia.

The film was partly coordinated by the music industry's anti-piracy arm; Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI), which is pushing for the short to be included in school classes related to copyright and file sharing. Other interviewees include some of Australia’s biggest musical acts: Jimmy Barnes, Silverchair, Powderfinger and Operator Please were all present and according to MIPI’s general manager Sabiene Heindl, were all happy to be there.

McDougall had this to say: "I have never come out against internet piracy and illegal downloading and I wouldn't do that - I would never put my name to something that is against downloading and is against piracy and stuff, it's something that I believe is a personal thing from artist to artist."

"I would never be part of this big record industry funded campaign to crush illegal downloads, I'm not like Lars Ulrich. I think it's bullshit, I think it's record companies crying poor and I don't agree with it."

You can watch the film in question here.