Piracy as progressive taxation
Tim O'Reilly (of O'Reilly publishing house has some incisive comments on on-line distribution of media. refreshing, true and important.
For all of these creative artists, most laboring in obscurity, being well-enough known to be pirated would be a crowning achievement. Piracy is a kind of progressive taxation, which may shave a few percentage points off the sales of well-known artists (and I say "may" because even that point is not proven), in exchange for massive benefits to the far greater number for whom exposure may lead to increased revenues.
