So, yesterday I came upon this piece on The Trichordist's* blog titled Letter to Emily White at NPR All Songs Considered. It's a response to NPR intern Emily White who publicly confessed to possessing 11,000 songs, yet has only paid for a grand total of 15 cds in her life. I don't happen to think she's somehow unusual. That's why I think it's important to read the article all the way to the bottom. It addresses several key points that no one in the "all content should be free" camp seems to have not given much consideration. Why is this important to me? Well, it should be obvious since there's so much pressure for books to move into the electronic realm. I've never felt comfortable with the broad argument that turning a blind eye to this stuff somehow results in more sales. (If you want to argue that one, have another look at the 11,000 songs versus 15 cds example.) I suspect it isn't that simple. There is, no doubt, a threshold where a small amount of piracy is helpful. I won't argue that. However, the 47% drop in music sales statistic is something that should be seriously considered. An entirely hands off policy probably isn't the answer.

Anyway, it's a long article. Read it all the way to the bottom before responding please.
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* The Trichordist is a blog that works for an Ethical Internet, and the protection of Artists Rights in the Digital Age.