AlanAbit: Fair comment. However, I'm sure that on at least one of my albums, I invite the listener to make one or two copies for their own use. I have also used this forum to not only invite people to participate in the free downloads but to pass them on to their friends or enemies as they see fit. I may or may not reap the rewards down the road and am not concerned either way.
That's my philosophy and I don't expect that other artists should have to agree with it. Neither should they expect everyone to follow their philosophy regarding music sales.
Once the song is released, it's in the air. Should we drop a penny in the box every time we whistle a Bob Dylan tune? Isn't this site devoted to passing the stuff around?
We may be guilty of enforcing a double standard here. One rule for us codgers and another for the Varsity crowd.