harpgirl asks some important questions: I own 500-600 LPs and many tapes and CDs,...all legally bought... but I simply cannot afford to buy all that I'd like to now that I'm retired and on a seriously limited budget...if I see a song online that I'd love to have, but have no spare funds to by the whole CD, what do I do? I know I'm not going out and buy the CD, so if I copy the song...technically an illegal act...the artist has lost nothing (just as a theater owner would lose nothing by letting some kids in for free when they had no money, and would not have come in legally anyway.)

Later, I 'might' buy that CD , and those kids 'might' come back and pay for a seat....and that's the argument used by some who use peer-to-peer, or download from newsgroups, and if that's all it was everyone would be fine. But if someone keeps up with music, and WANTS all the latest CDs of some particular genré, and INTENDS to get them without putting out a dime, except for the cost of his computer equipment, he is clearly defeating the purpose of the artist, who wants to make money from his talent........and you and I could both write scripts that fall between those two extremes, just as harpgirl's questions suggest.

Like many issues, it WILL work itself out in some way, as musicians will NOT continue to make CDs in the same way if they can't make a living at it...maybe some folks will get by on live concerts...and some honest folks will continue to BUY CDs...we'll see how many.

You notice that Clinton H. and others seldom defend their decision to 'take' free music wherever thay can get it...they state that they feel no guilt, and dare you to do anything about it. That is what I don't understand...why announce that you get most of your music for free and illegally? Why not just do it quietly? Something in the personality, I guess.."stolen fruits are so delicious".....Are they suggesting that everyone do as they do? Do they know the argument that "it's ok for ME to throw trash out the window of my car, because, after all, just a few people doing it doesn't make much difference..."?

It is interesting that the habits of some could not easily exist without many others doing it legally......funny how our minds work, hmmmm?