Illegal downloading

[borkeman]

Ok, u2 and Taylor swift aren't hurting, but there are lots of small bands and talents that struggle for every gig and every record sale.

Don't get me wrong, I understand why people download illegally, but I believe if you appreciate the music you should support the artist.

I would support a genuine artist if it justified.
The thing is these days everyone from Kanye West to last years X factor runner up is labeled "An Artist", and not a product which is closer to reality.
Ubiquitous music these days is generic garbage with no artistic merit.

[gonzo76]

I would support a genuine artist if it justified.
The thing is these days everyone from Kanye West to last years X factor runner up is labeled "An Artist", and not a product which is closer to reality.
Ubiquitous music these days is generic garbage with no artistic merit.

I'm sorry but that argument doesn't make sense to me. If you took the time to download it, you like the music, right? If it has no artistic merit, or you think it's generic garbage, why download it?

And I think there's a bit of chicken and egg going on here too. Musicians don't get paid for making music, so they go and get "stable" jobs that pay the bills, and then we lament that all music is over produced, manufactured crap... And download it illegally...

[The Libertarian]

Talk about illegal downloading relative to our hobby/business, it was originally proposed by the psychotics (unanimously accepted by all the members on it) of the JOC on prostitution law reform in The Republic that anyone (including ODPs (ordinary decent punters, the vast vast majority of us), sex workers looking for dangerous punter warnings or for safe sex and sexual health information or even a curious teenage child), downloading an escort related site such as EI, should be legally equated with a child molester downloading scenes of children being raped and abused!
Now that was so enormously insane (AFAIK, it came from the Ruhama submission, quelle surprise!), that even our beloved Minister for everyone elses' interior, Fitzy Fitzy, would not put it in her vastly insane new bill!