Re: free market or regulated music?

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

>I believe that the little guy (in this case - the consumer) is never to 
>blame and should not be held responsible for simply buying material that 
>they want.  It is the responsibility of the manufacturers and dealers to 
>adhere to laws (and what is right) and pay the price when they profit and 
>screw artists out of royalties.

Consumers are responsible for creating a demand, though.  Whether it's for 
mink coats or rhinoceros horn or Who bootlegs, the individual buyer is 
influencing the supplier because he or she offers money for the product.

Offering goods in trade is a similar influence, of course, but karmically 
better, because it's normally one collector to another and the exchange is 
even.  I saw some Who boots on auction in the $100 range last summer, and I 
suspect others went higher.  That's quite an influence.

keets
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