OK, Neil. I accept the criticism for the language I used. But not the sentiment. It was a bad day, and I didn't like the dismissive "high horse" comment, which indicated a complete lack of comprehension as to the arguments I put forth. I stand duly and correctly chastised for my use of foul language and apologize for it. As to the intent of my comment, minus the offending language, I stand by it for the reasons stated subsequently.

Back to the issue. I don't agree that ripping CD's for one's personal use, CD's that one has paid for, constitutes any sort of illegal or immoral use. I think I pointed out that I disagree with the industry and folks who think it is. That is a perfectly legitimate use. I also think that the way of the future is downloading, often a tune at a time, and that CD's are going to wane in popularity. I am OK with all of that. As long as the creators of the music can legitimately control their product, this technology may finally resolve one of the longstanding evils of the business of producing music for sale. But if steps are not taken to make sure that there is a clear line between theft and legitimate use, artists will simply have swapped one set of thieves (labels) for another set (folks that rip without paying for it).

Mick