Sadly, we, the paying customers really dont have a say no matter how many petitions we sign. We dont have enough money to lobby politicians to pass laws in our favors. Orrin Hatch who came out in the beginning and said that the music industry is on its own in finding a way to protect its product has been on the take with donations from various labels and the RIAA for the last couple years.

The consumers have no control. We never did. Sure we can speak with our wallet and not buying the product but all that does is force raising the price. The industry WILL ALWAYS make their profits one way or another.

..............The industry WILL ALWAYS make their profits one way or another. ...........

Thats why it is an industry, make money or go away. Capitalism, love it or hate it. i enjoy my paycheck, as few as they may be.

Seeing as how I've spent most of my life as a socialist I obviously missed out on capitalism 101, can someone explain to me how it works, in particular the laws of supply and demand?
A cursory study of the markerplace seems to reveal that when supply exceeds demand the price drops, I think I got that bit right. So how is it that the suppliers of media, be it records, movie tickets or books, think the road to success is to take the opposite approach.
Bob.

no thanks Bob ,
you dont make money you go under. i know nothing other than that.

they take the opposite approach because people are stupid & will buy hype. Why buy an i-pod over a generic player? Because people would rather spend extra money for hype & to be a status symbol. Heck, that's what 90% of Sony is all about. Selling status symbols. Playstations are more expensive then GameCube's but sell more because people think a playstation makes them cooler. That's what most consumer goods do in our capatilist system: make you feel better. They don't need to be better, or work better, just make you FEEL better.

And that's why msot people are broke. :D