Could I reply to George's red herring about home taping? There's loads of times I've made compilation tapes for friends and more recently compilation CDS - and guess what? They've gone out and bought albums by the artists concerned. There's a WORLD of difference between turning friends onto great music and systematically bootlegging other people's work (which despite ownership of the recordings, DB is doing when he releases royalty-free CDrs). George's argument - at best - is disengenious. Could I also add that I bought 'Bright Phoebus' on CD from a local record shop, thinking it was bonafide - as did the shopkeeper. It's only now I realise I was sold a CDr. I don't mind that. It's the dishonesty around the whole thing I can't stand - especially around royalties. When I buy a CD I hope the artist profits - and if not I want to know why not... DB's apologists ALL sound like hollow man. Maybe they should take a few minutes to genuinely reflect on their arguments? I'm not sure - for example - that citing the miner's strike is a reason to continue to rip off relatively impoverished folk artists 20 or more years down the line...

Cheers

Nigel