A police officer cannot ticket every speeder who flies down the road. If someone breaks the law, which downloading mp3s illegally is no matter how unhipster it is to admit it, they get zero sympathy when they're punished for it, even if 1000 other people did it and got away scot free. I cannot believe the intellectual disconnect and divorce from logic that every 20-and-30-something seems to have on this.
Are you telling me that the technology to put Radar on every highway overpass and mail a check to the offender does not exist? Or on every stop light for red light runners? Please.....
There's a reason why we haven't done that. Why don't you, Mr. 20-something, spend some time to figure out why, and you'll understand the crux of the argument.
This isn't about defending my own downloading habit (or the 18 year old kid in our dorms) - I DL substantaily less than you think - I've had a Napster Pass for quite a while and now switched to a Zune pass. I have access to 10 Million songs for $15 a month - why do I need to DL? Sure occassionally I get excited about a bands new album leaked before it's released and DL it, but I pay my $15 so I get a legit copy when it's finally released.
This about an industry going after it's bread and butter, the consumer, when all it needs to do is take a long look in the mirror and realize the real problem was them and their draconian business strategy from day one. The times have changed, why haven't they?