This is what I've been ranting about for years, and probably why I can't take the DMCA seriously at all. A non-violent crime deserves a more serious than one during which you may have killed the person? A non-violent crime, mind you, that could be easily averted? Honestly, after a good scaring or a warning most pirates would quit, considering the majority are computer geeks afraid of being shoved into a locker. Most pirates, in fact, are so anti-social that they can't stand to leave their home long enough to go out and buy this stuff -- or they would.

A seasoned lawyer would argue that they could "buy it online," but then you have the problem of 1.) getting a shitty, scratched-up copy of the C.D. and having to wait at least another ten days because the company's too pissed at you to send another copy yet, or 2.) dealing with the jackasses who want to sell you MORE broken crap because it's their job to sell you stuff, not give you free shit because they fucked up in the first place =_=; yes this has happened to me! D:<

I suppose it wouldn't be so bad to buy an actual C.D. either if it wasn't for the fact that most artists have a one-hit-wonder single and the rest of the UTTER CRAP you buy on their C.D., you'll never listen to. In this case, a seasoned lawyer would say "You coulda' just downloaded the one you want from iTunes for a buck!"

Here's a newsflash for ya', jackass: I DON'T HAVE AN IPOD! Nor do I **WANT** an iPod. Moreover, it would be ILLEGAL for me to CHANGE the KIND of music file it is because it's illegal to make ANY digital copy.

Oh, that's another thing. I can see it being illegal to upload music and whatnot, but so many "free downloads" are available on the Internet that it's literally impossible to tell which are really legal and which will nail you in prison for ten fucking years. There's another problem with this law: If it is illegal to make a copy of the music we listen to at all -- digital property laws and whatnot -- then it is illegal to even play the music we DO BUY out of a computer or C.D. Player. Know why? Because no matter what you do, in order for the computer to access the information on the disc it must first COPY that FILE to the RAM (or, in CD Players and other portable media players -- Flash Memory)!!! Guess they want you to buy something you're not even allowed to LISTEN TO, don't they?

Though I agree one should be paid for making music, one should not have to pay to HEAR it. Instead, in my opinion, we could pull some shit to pay them with taxes or something. They do provide a public service -- imagine a world without music, eh? Well, that's my take on it. Sure as Hell works for all of the governing power-players we "need so desperately to function as a nation," who then turn and use the money for their own fucking vacation to the Bahamas or some shit. Whatever they want, really. Fuck them, fuck you, fuck me, fuck it. kthxbai

Yes,I agree with you and your example"assaulting a police officer will get you five years, downloading child porn will get you seven years".