While we're arguing over Napster cutting into artists' rights, look at the fact that the Britney Spears, Metallicas, and Puff-Daddy's of the world, who are the most downloaded, are losing out on pennies for a lost record sale. The real rip-off is the record companies who keep the lion's share for the artists "intellectual property", before anyone on line, ever gets involved. It's a real shame to see the independant recording ripped off, but I really don't see that happening too often. If Art Thieme had a nickel for ever CD sale he's lost to napster, he could buy a cup of coffee. (No offense intended, Art. I bought one of your Cds from a vendor at a concert, and enjoy it. That was the first or last I've heard of you outside of the Mudcat.)

Bill D brought the subject of live taping (if you tried to plug in a digital recorder to the sound system).
There are a good number of artists who actually encourage it, David Grisman Quintet, String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, Hypnotic Clambake, The Grateful Dead, Donna the Buffalo, the Freight Hoppers just to name a few. It's been described as the ultimate word of mouth. I can tell you that this band or that is great live, but If I hand you a tape, and say, "This was a nice show", you don't have to take my word for it. I got into an argument with a local agent here, when I offered to make her a tape of a David Grisman Quintet show, she had missed. She got quite indignant with me spouting about artists losing revenue and blah-blah-blah. My friend who had taped the concert did it with David's blessing. I've got a lot of bootleg tapes of different artists, but I don't have many tapes of artists, I've not later on gone and paid the almighty dollar to see.

Rich