Now that EMI has ventured into this, let's reward their effort by not posting the songs on P2P.
THANK YOU.
This is why I don't pirate. Not because of any moral or legal argument... but because if internet music distribution is going to stand a chance as a legitimate competitor to the industry's aging distro monopoly, and thus level the playing field between independents and majors, we as consumers have to prove that it's a commercially viable medium.
Pirating the likes of Britney Spears does only two things:
1. It reinforces the idea that there is, all else being equal, a demand for such mediocre music.
2. It helps RIAA lobby Congress to pass stupid legsilation that surreptitously hampers internet distribution entirely, thus cleverly installing a barrier to entry in the marketplace that benefits major labels.
More importantly, when major label marketing machines are on a level playing field with Joe Q. Garageband, the sheer volume of choices tends to reduce the visibility of mediocre artists propped up by marketing machines and simultaneouly increase the visibility of otherwise talented artists who might have trouble finding a market with the idiots at Warner Bros. A&R at the steering wheel (thus becoming one of the 90% of artists to end up as a loss and a tax writeoff for the record labels).
This is precisely what the record companies are afraid of and why they've been fighting (albeit uphill) against internet distribution since the 1990's... because they know that the inevitable reality is that with a more level playing field they will be outgunned 10 to 1 by smaller, more agile entities who aren't pinned down by having become accustomed to a certain lifestyle. A&R executives, the robber barons of the industry, will have to either get more creative and find better talent (much more difficult than using marketing to push artists like darts at a dartboard to see which ones stick), or sell their Mercedes and get a real job.
How do we voice our discontent with the conventional model and simultaneously prove the internet distribution model is feasible, and even profitable, for independent artists?
Purchase music (especially more diverse and independent music) from outlets like iTunes Music Store. The more data you provide Apple in this transition period backing out of DRM, the more you reinforce the idea that non-DRM is profitable and eventually the major labels will fall into line.
Piracy while seemingly convenient in the short term helps to eliminate consumer options in the long term.