Hi there,
Doug wrote:
>I've been noticing a lot of post about bootleg or pirate materials lately on
>p2. Does anyone other than the bootlegger think this is an appropriate
>activity? I sure as hell don't and it offends me as well each time it
>rears >its ugly head. Theft is Theft is Theft.
Checking out a tiny local record store the other day, we were shocked to
find that easily over 50% of their titles have been duplicated on CD
burners with xeroxed booklets. 90% of the titles are punk, and initially
we thought they were all low budget self-releases, but were shocked to find
pirated CDs by U2, Jewel, Royal Crown Revue, etc. You name it, they've
jacked it.
I'm wondering how they've stayed in business as long as they have (about
three years now) without getting popped. They are definitely eclipsed by
the much cooler indie record store in the college town to the west and the
various generic music mega stores, but for cryin' out loud, they're on the
main drag that runs through these parts. It's not as if they're operating
out of someone's garage, well out of the view of the public eye (and even
if they were, it still wouldn't be right).
Two years ago when I was still teaching, this would have bothered me. I
probably would have used it as an example of a moral dilemma with my
classes: "this is wrong, but it doesn't hurt us personally. Do we have an
obligation to do something about this?" Now that I find myself in a much
different place- no longer teaching and now working with bands, involved
with a new indie label- my perspective is obviously a bit different and
this store doesn't merely bother me, I'm galled.
Jeanne
