[Stu]

Originally Posted by setanta

I find it highly unlikely that people who download relatively unknown bands for free will suddenly have a mad desire to find an original copy and buy it or travel over to Finland or Russia or wherever to see them perform live.

I find it highly unlikely that the situation is always as exaggerated as you portray it to be.

Also, they would have more of a chance of been seen live than if the person never downloaded the music in the first place. Music should be the number one priority for any real artist. I for one would be delighted if thousands more got to hear my music through illegal download for free.

Plus your ignoring the fact, again, that the channels many of these bands have been found through in the first place have been ... you guessed it ... the INTERNET!

And it's not all small artists. There is so much of this you are ignoring. In their conceptual stages Lilly Allen, Arcade Fire, The Arctic Monkey's and more have all started out as viral internet phenomena.

Originally Posted by setanta

And the stealing is stealing is in reference to your assertions involving the music business, not with regard to all forms of stealing.

So stealing actually isn't stealing? Or is it stealing within the music business is all the same? Either way, it's a riddiculous theory your putting forward. Just substitute Richard Branson for Britney Spears and Pensioner for Rubak Schtanziey - Russia's finest folktronica quartet.