If the fines were "affordable" then we wouldn't have heard of this. It is so easy to do, and the crime is so minimal...just pennies, that it is easy to minimize its effect on our culture. I know of some instances, personally, where illegal downloading drove good musicians/songwriters out of the business.

In a way, it is like counterfeiting. Someone makes a copy of something of value and in doing so reduces the value of any existing copies. That's why the U.S. government can fine someone and imprison them for up to 15 years for copying anything more than a nickel. It would be so easy to do. It's not much money. But if it were rampant it would destroy our monetary system, so they give it a high penalty to discourage so called "good" people from just copying dollar bills on their home printer.

Here's the law:

http://www.secretservice.gov/money_law.shtml

You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash

It's only music.
-niteshift

Mike Dunbar Music