[ARCADIA]

In the future, if I were a new aspiring artist, I would simply log into a file sharing site and upload my songs. By simply tracking the buzz generated around my music, I could then go to a local establishment and honestly make a case for letting me use their venue. My income would come from my performance and the associated paraphernalia, rather then the direct sale of my music. The very tools that have been created to share music can easily be used for self promotion. Although they haven't realised it yet, artists are becoming free, they no longer need to be shackeled to a large record company.

Morally it is wrong to use someone else's intellectual property without their permission. I agree with you. But, what we are really seeing is a major paradigm shift, and the protected music is being used as a sort of test media or seed stock, in the development of that new reality. Whatever actions they may take, whatever laws we might enact, the protections are going to be moot, and the value of the property is going to zero.

I only would argue that we accept that and not waste public funds and effort to preserve that which cannot be preserved.

[ARCADIA]

Once upon a time the clergy reserved upon themselves the priviledge of sole access to the scriptures. They lost it and the music industry will also lose it. It is a claim over a domain which they can no longer control.