France Debates Downloads, With Teenager as Top Expert

At 18, Aziz Ridouan is a normal teen who likes to download music. But his adversaries compare him to a modern-day Robin Hood, and the French Interior minister gives him a note allowing him to skip school to meet with top government officials. Ridouan suggests that the internet is the library of the future and the entertainment industry must adapt. The teen started his own nonprofit – Audionautes, or “audio surfers” – which provides legal assistance to people accused of illegally downloading music. He also has proposals for compensating artists whose music he accesses online. According to Christian Paul, a member of the socialist party, Aziz has been “courageous” in battling the “medieval crusade” the music industry wages against downloaders. While the music industry might turn a deaf ear, the elite world of French politics extends respect to Ridouan as a voice of the next generation. – YaleGlobal