Re: [LAU] ASCAP Assails Free-Culture, Digital-Rights Groups

So my question to the community goes something like this: (Assume everything is digital for now and there's no DRM so as to make this easier...) 1) One person makes music and gives it away for free. That's his business. I can get her music for free and he's happy. 2) Another person makes music and attempts to sell it. That's his business. I can buy his music and he's happy. If I get his music some other way he's presumably not happy, if he knows. 3) Another person makes music and isn't confident he can sell it so he works with a company. The company and he have an agreement and they are either happy or not happy with each other. It's immaterial to me. Let's call it 'their' music since they are in business together. I can buy their music and they are happy. If I get it some other way then presumably they are not happy, if they know. The question about #2 & #3 is whether it's _ever_ OK to get the music if I didn't pay. I contend it isn't. I don't _need_ the music. I _want_ the music, or think I do. Why is this any different than taking two trips to the salad bar when the menu said only one was OK with the restaurant?