I find it invigorating when people get this worked up about a topic, it's interesting to see what side of them comes out and yours has come through in spades. Kudos to you. No offense taken no apologies needed.

I guess I also see bands like Metallica who are suing Napster and their fans... and just have to wonder of the logic there. "Hey... these guys are distributing our music without our consent... lets sue the fans... the people who brought us to where we are and still keep us fed." I have learned of a wealth of bands on the internet, and spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars going to live shows, buying CD's, books, merch... but only because I have found them online. I live in a city where we have 2 classic rock stations (they say they play new music... but they don't...) the concerts that come through town are mostly garbage. And there is no real feed for what's new in the music world. Or for what has been (delta blues for example)

If people would stop looking at the money factor, just stop... right now... quit it... look at it as a promotional tool. How many of us are going to get rich making music? Not many. How many of us are going to see slight returns on online distribution. Few. How many of us can use the Internet to distribute digital copies of lesser quality to thousands of people who normally would have never heard of us? All of us.

..."and I came to a point in my life where I sat down, sought a definition of intellectual property, opened my eyes to what I was doing to hardworking artists, and came to the conclusion that theft is just that."

Huzzah to you for developing a policy and sticking to it, it shows character.

"...seek to mitigate your guilt because it has been convenient and you like being able to do it."

Most of the artists I have downloaded recently have been rarities and hard to find items. Things a guy just can't get up here in Calgary Alberta. If I can get them I do, and happily so, but only after to listening to select songs and deciding if this CD is really worth spending $30+ on. I have no guilt about doing this... HMV and a lot of the other major record chains have developed such technology in their stores. Where you can take a CD and have a listen to it before you buy it. Makes for happy consumers, problem is... you find me an HMV with the CD's I wish to buy in their listeners booths... you won't. If I liked Ricky Martin and all the juggy pop stars of today I wouldn't be having this conversation with you right now.

Internet piracy will never go away, fortunately or unfortunately. Online distribution of digital format music will probably never see the light of day. But I do see the internet moving in such a way within the next two years that will spark a major wave in the artists VS. record label battle.(At least I hope I will)

But then again... there is a part of me that wishes music was never given the capitalist stamp it has today. Too much marketing involved... too much to do with fashion and pretty faces.. not enough soul in the music.

It's all so damned confusing... why can't a guy just write songs and leave all the political BS out of it?

Anyways... of to make snow angels and do a few grab and runs on the way home. (stealing is a much better way to get your Christmas shopping done)

Sardonically yours,

Will