Well I work seven days a week
Eight when I am able
When you take money from me
you take food from my mama's tableLet's cry for this bad man
I wrote a song for the bad manOh baby you know who you are
How about all you cheap bastards out there get out the crow-bar, pry open your wallets and PAY for their work?
I think that creative artists deserve total protction from piracy for a LIMITED time - 25 to 30 years is about right, everything prior to the 1970's should rightfully be in the public domain by now.
The USSC has correctly ruled that the existence of copyright is an issue of right or wrong, but the duration of copyright is a political decision, no different in my opinion from tax rates or speed limits.
Hmmm. I am of several minds concerning the "theft" of art. First, are musical works ever really stolen? At least in one sense, no. The music remains, no matter how many people hear it. On the other hand, one should remain in control of that which one creates. Certainly the theft of a CD from the store is indeed theft. What, though, if I overhear someone's CD player playing the CD and pay nothing for it? Have I not stolen the music, at least in one sense? How about if I invite 25 close friends over and play music? 50? 100? 10,000? Can I give the CD away to someone else, or sell it? Perhaps I should only be able to hear the music I buy once, as at a concert. I have not researched the law on this, but I imagine there are some answers there, not that the law is always right (RIP Terri Schiavo).
On another hand, whatever happened to art for art's sake; to people driven to create and perform their art, without thought of pecuniary gain? I remember the "starving artist" and its numerous examples of classical musicians who never made much, if any, money for their work. The questions and answers are difficult. Perhaps a musician should not record his music at all, and thus ensure that it won't be stolen. Just the musings of a non-artist.