Legal & Ethical Questions in the PC Audio Age

So, really, you shouldn't even give them away if you've made a perfect copy

Absolutley NOT. This is a criminal act. On one hand sharing somem favorites with a friend is no big deal - but giving away an entire collection worth thousands of dollars and keeping a copy for yourself is a CRIME, it is illegal.

This is just as bad as taking CD's from the public library and copying them at home. It is illegal.

One of the reasons we are in such a huge financial crisis right now has a lot to do with ethics, IMHO!

I am no industry insider but I support our music industry and am against pirate copies.

But this time, I bought the one that was identified as "New," because this discussion makes me wonder to what extent I'm being complicit in unethical behavior when I buy a used CD.

There is a difference though. If you own the original media (even bought second hand) then you have not broken the law. In this case, it is the person who has ripped it (kept a copy) and then sold the original that is breaking the law. I agree there is a concern that you might be complicit but it is hard to be certain. Many of the used or hard to find CD dealers on Amazon sell thousands of CD's a month - to me they look bonafide sellers (like used books) but like you I never checked - great question!

Well I didn't think I would start a big discussion but I do appreciate the concerns everyone is showing. I suspect that in our modern society the problem has something to do with our fundamental values and the ease with which you can get away with something in a big city where you don't deal with the same people everyday, as you would in a small town.

Today money equates to self esteem much more than the pride of doing the right thing or behaving honorably. Advertisers constantly emphasize and brainwash us that what we buy is what defines us - perfume, watch, whisky, car, cellphone.

The pro sports player seems to feel quite justified if he/she gets away with a dirty tactic and wins. The fans may even cheer a dirty shot. Although not new there is something unsettling about this swing in modern behavior. In the past playing like a sportsman was so highly regarded nobody dared cheat if there was ever the slightest chance of getting caught. Now there is so much emphasis about winning that even our kids feel the pressure - and they are on the slippery slope at a very young age playing their video games where you can shoot people and there are no consequences (and you can find cheats online to each game). From Nancy Kerrigan being attacked in 1994 with a bar to steroid doping in many major sports it points to an "ends justify the means" mentality (as we no longer value the means) It is ok to cheat if you win! If a Hockey Dad needs to abuse the referee then that is what it sometimes takes to win!

However, there is hope with some fine people showing us the way !