Feds to audiophiles: You're all pirates now

i have 10k+ pieces of music software and other than 15-20 CDR demo compliations (i'd pay for those too if i knew where to send the money) i've purchased every one.

it's real simple......if you don't pay for the music you use you are a thief (excepting, of course, that music artists offer for free downloads). it matters not what culture says or the law specifies.....you have taken something that is not yours.

you were Pirates already.

my son did copy 1000 or so of my cd's onto a hard drive for my wife to use....we have converted some to MP3's for my wife's i-Pod Nano.

And yes, it IS the music execs and a sparse population of artists that are shaping the laws, because if congressmen and congresswomen ran on the platform of limiting MP3 sharing, how many votes do you think that would garner...besides Mikelavigne's...(just kidding, Mike!)

laws should protect property rights. while i should be free to copy and use copyrighted data within my household; it should not be my right to copy and share it with someone outside my household without compensation to the data creator. i should be able to give or sell that singular copy of that data to someone if i do not retain any use for myself.

i am all for rewarding the artist and the support system of that artist.....as opposed to doing what might be popular. the modern concept of mob rule is despicable......regardless of the level of technology.

i would not relate stealing music to Robin Hood (there is no higher moral ground to stand on)......i would relate it to Hitler looting the Art of Europe during the Occupation. just like these present day thieves; Hitler stole because he could.

you could make a case that some then owners of the Art were corrupt or bad folks.....but that does not justify Hitler's actions.

just because technology has made data theft easy does not justify it. Hitler had it easy too.