the111, It’s good to hear a response to my anti-piracy post that’s both non-inflammatory and based on some rationale. And you’re right–I would never expect the government to target the average mp3-downloading joe. Like I said, their efforts will always be focused on both securing the media & prosecuting bigtime hackers/distributors, etc. And you’re right in saying that there is SOME debate regarding the effect of piracy on sales. Still, I (along with most people that I know and work with) all agree that the easy access we have to mp3s has reduced any and all incentive to purchase CDs at retail. Sure, we will still purchase an occasional album that we simply can’t live without, but it’s those fringe purchases (e.g., those albums we buy for a couple of songs) that the industry is certainly losing. And while there is a certain unfairness (as many have posted) in making people pay for a whole CD for just one or two songs, that’s the business. If it’s not worth the purchase, don’t buy it, but it seems like people who post here feel that they have some entitlement to this music, which is simply wrong. As for the government helping the industry make billions at the expense of 10 year old girls, well, you know that’s a gross oversimplification. These billion-dollar companies are represented (and relied upon) by thousands of families, from the highly-paid CEO at the top, to the secretary, janitor, and even middle-income shareholder who has bought a stake in the company through his/her 401(k) plan. And it’s easy for everyone to say that the casual home copier doesn’t hurt anyone. Right now, that may be true. But the number of “casual” copiers (and swappers of mp3s) is growing at an exponential rate, and collectively their effect on our economy could eventually be disastrous. That’s what I’m afraid of. Our economy from time immemorial has been based on the production and eventual sale of goods/services, and this digital age has thrown it all out of whack. And I’m not certain that the outcome will be a good one. But that’s just my two cents.