[Hunch]

Originally Posted by niggle

No industry has the right to stand still and no company has a right to keep churning out shit and expecting people to keep paying for it.

If you don't like it, don't buy it. Simple concept that everyone understands. Plenty of companies have gone under because no one liked their stuff any more.

Your argument completely collapses though when you consider that in order for someone to download something they have to want to. It obviously has a perceived value, otherwise people wouldn't take it.

[Bill Posters]

Originally Posted by niggle

Thanks!

Your mistake is simple: you tried to equate music piracy to someone ripping off my designs.

But pirates only view the content, they don't use it to make money.

I didn't say how I'd use it.
Just so we're clear, is it ok for me to use your designs for any non-commercial projects I have going on - or not?

Not sure whether I'll take stuff you've produced for clients or stuff you've produced for yourself.

Still, nice to have the freedom of choice. Ta.
I'll take a look over your site and portfolio this weekend and take anything that might prove useful (though not profitable).

What's the url?

No industry has the right to stand still and no company has a right to keep churning out shit and expecting people to keep paying for it. It's in the nature of the market that innovators - like iTunes - flourish while those who can't and won't grow - like HMV and the major record labels - wither and die.

Wrong. Every industry has the right to stand still and implement whatever sub-optimal, non-progressive models they choose - without waiving their right to protect their products against consumers willing to exploit easy options to obtain and use their products illegally.

But while we're on the issue of rights, the rights that don't exist are those which might allow randoms to illegally exploit a company's product simply because they don't agree with said company's business model.

Copyrights expire

Life of the author + 70 years at the last count.
The current and back catalogue of all record labels are more than covered by that.

Or are you now deciding that internationally agreed copyright duration is no longer valid to you and your principles?