Downloading MP3s good/bad

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Many people, including the Recording Industry Association of America, believe that illegal downloaders of mp3s are hurting the music industry. But what happen before there were mp3s? People tape recorded off the radio.. Did the RIAA disagree with that? People bought bootlegged cds... Yet the buyers of those bootlegged cds weren't sued or settled for thousands of dollars. In my opinion downloading mp3s allows us to explore the world of music and find out what is hot and what is not. In fact, many times I've downloaded entire cds and then have decided to go out and buy the cd. Most artists get most of their profits from performing live anyway, when fools like me buy their tickets for $50-$100. So whats the big deal with downloading mp3s? Rich