If the value is around 250,000 dollars per song, like the RIAA is claiming, then why can you buy it on iTunes for 99 cents? Does a fine that is 250,000 times more than the cost of the product make any sense at all?

Nobody takes these laws seriously because it is such a ridiculous amount. When a law does not make sense, people will not follow it. That is the reason that this is a losing battle for the RIAA. Otherwise moral people are not seeing the value in what the RIAA is doing and therefore are breaking laws that they considerto be unjust. It is the same reason that so many people ignore drug laws when it comes to marijuana. The laws make no sense, and therefore are ignored because that is the only recourse when elected officials won't change the laws.

Back to the theft argument, the definition of theft that I was using is the accepted legal definition... not my own. You cannot steal something that has no physical existence. You can copy it and use it for illegal purposes, but you cannot steal it. Ask your insurance company if their homeowners policy covers someone copying your CD's.

The kid is guilty of illegal reproduction of a copyrighted work, not theft. If it were theft, there would be physical damages. He is guilty of basically violating the terms of a license agreement. When you buy a cd, you do not own the song. You own the right to listen to the song on the cd... and if the RIAA had its way, you would not have the legal right to convert it to mp3 for your own listening.

Next time you accept a mix tape (or cd these days) from a friend, contemplate that you are guilty of the same crime as this kid and could be taken to court for up to several millions of dollars.

Furthermorem did you know that there is already a tax that gets split between the label, riaa, artist, and producer on blank cds and burners to compensate the music industry for the losses that may incur due to illegal reproduction. Personally, i think that people sued for filesharing should use this as part of their defense... the industry has been plenty compensated for whatever virtual losses through this tax paid by everyone who buys a cd burner or blank cd.

You are falling hook line and sinker for the RIAA's "poor me" argument, while they simultaneously screw the consumer and artists over. Go watch some Lou Dobbs for a while. He will probably make a lot of sense. You probably also nod your head in agreement when those MPAA commercials come on before movies equating downloading a movie illegally to stealing a car.