Tritone Tuesday-Touting Copyright Respect

I had a rather disturbing remind-er recently that the ongoing struggle between the art of music and the audio connoisseur, rather the unappreciative digital shop-lifter, steadily downloading unauthorized musical tracks without paying those responsible entities who've invested in the genre to recoup and profit from their enterprise. 

How has the respect for property, in this case-intellectual, dissipated over several generations to where people believe it is their right to copy and distribute these tracks? 

Sure, there are the educational purposes, and personal use situations that stand to reason, but frankly, the motive to create for a profit is going to continue to weaken, and quality, professional music organizations will faulter due to lack of support.  Great Britian, where so many legendary music groups have come from, is dealing with this issue like an infestation of beatles. 

Here's an important statistic reported by The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA):  "-Frontier Economics recently estimated that U.S. Internet users annually consume between $7 and $20 billion worth of digitally pirated recorded music." 

Wow, can you imagine how many talented musicians, songwriters, artists, bus drivers, stagehands, etc. might get a pay raise is some of that were recouped?  Not to mention that some mortgages might get paid.  I've heard the stories firsthand of how houses have been borrowed against to record a full album in Nashville (not that I'd do that or recommend it).

Music is moving, and sometimes obnoxious and irritating, but we have the freedom to experience the style that fits our personality...for now; I for one, will continue to tout the need for copyright respect.  Pay for the music you love so much.  If you want to directly support an artist, check out any major "underground music scene" where many bands sell direct to the public.