Let's talk about the record companies. First, I'm probably not your typical music lover. I own 1200 LPs, 1400 CDs, and 98 DVDs, all purchased legally. I've ripped about 95% of the CDs to MP3s, so I can use the computer as a jukebox and easily make my own CD compilations. I never used Napster, but do have Morpheus loaded on my PC. I've used it to find rare items and old singles, and occasionally to listen to music from artists I'm interested in. In most cases, I end up buying the CDs if I like the bands. I don't think I'm the prototypical "internet music stealer" the record companies seem so interested in.
Yes, my CD purchases have dropped the last several years. Is it because I'm ripping off the music and depriving the artists of their just compensation? No, it's because the prices of CDs keep going up. I'm going to spend about the same amount of money each year on music, and the rising cost of CDs means I can buy less. That's the marketplace, not some conspiracy to defraud record companies of their profits.
The record companies do not have the best interests of the artists in mind. Just ask any band who has signed a record contract recently, and they'll tell you they gave away the world just to get their music published. They only want more money. They sell a product that costs pennies to produce for a grossly inflated price, keep most of the profits, and whine that their sales are dropping because millions of people are stealing from them. Their online replacements for Napster give less money to the artists than ever, and keep the competition from providing alternatives. Their experiments with CD copy protection will not stop copying, and only serve to aggravate folks like me. And I don't think I'm the kind of music lover they want to piss off. I will not buy any copy protected CD that I'm aware of, and I will return any copy protected CD that makes it home. I have the legal right to make copies of music I've purchased for my own use, and I insist on exercising that right.
11:32:33 AM 
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