[BC] Arrested for just telling people where to find Copywrited material.

[Tom]

Your argument is a variation of the old "Why pay for the cow if the 
milk is free?"   Not saying it's incorrect, but -

Your analogy is a bit flawed... Note that, since the invention of 
audio recording, there have been those who "download" content - ever 
record something off-air?  Same exact operation.  Plus, radio 
stations frequently gave away those promotional copies they received 
from the record companies - "Not For Sale" - remember that all over 
the label?
So, they GAVE the records away.  Circumventing the intent, if not the 
letter.  Tape made it easier to make copies of favorites - now, the 
Internet, computers and CDs have replaced tape as the medium for 
"file sharing", but the act of sharing recordings is as old as 
recording itself -
As to the viability - I suspect it's not so much that it's not 
POPULAR, but that the record companies have it OVERPRICED.  Simple 
economics 101.

Here's one right back at you, Bob -

How many Optimods would you sell at $100k each?  $1M?  Now, suppose I 
could get an 8400 - New, In Box - for $1000... or maybe $100.  Would 
I be wrong to buy it?

What's it worth?  THAT's the basis behind folks who download; 
probably 90% or more.  The TRUE pirates are the one who SELL copies 
of the copies they download.  It's as if I managed to completely 
reverse-engineer an 8400, make copies, and sell them.  OTOH, if I 
manage to get one of those $1k units...

Tom S.... (still looking for an 8000 that a hobbyist can fit into his 
veeeeery limited budget!)

Robert Orban wrote:
>They *do* have a viable product to sell. The fact that it is being 
>illegally downloaded so much should tell you something. There seems 
>to be a fantasy among subscribers to this list that the record 
>companies don't make products that people want to buy just because 
>the product doesn't much appeal to the 50+ crowd that hangs out 
>here. If the record companies did not have compelling products, they 
>wouldn't be stolen so much! But no matter how compelling your 
>product, you can't compete with "free."
>
>To make a not-so-strained analogy, suppose that radio advertisers in 
>the last five years or so found a way of illegally getting their 
>spots on the radio without paying for them and without the stations' 
>consent. Would you then smugly say that "radio must find a new 
>business model"? What would you say to the person who said that 
>"radio advertising is no longer a viable product because it lacks 
>appeal"? Sometimes changing business models is far easier said than done.
>_______________________________________________