Hortlund: Yeah, but downloading mp3s from kazaa is not stealing.
In that case the girl's family has nothing to fear. The court will surely not convict them of there was no crime in her actions.
I though copying copyrighted material was illegal and considered theft of intellectual property in US but I may be wrong in this case.
Boroda: IMHO it's not fair that I have to pay some @#$$%% who made CCR work for food instead of giving money to people who actually made that great music.
There is no useable definition to the word "fair" other than "abiding by the contract that was entered voluntarily". Those guys sold their property. They cannot sell it again.
You can buy it from the legal owner now.
Often the artist are content with the economic role of a laborer preferring not to act in a function of an entrepreneur - thus allowing an entrepreuner to take on the risks - and rewards - of a venture. If the entrepreneur goes bust and wastes the investor's money, fine. In rare cases when the music earns a lot of money, the artists may have second thoughts but whatever choices they have made are final.
It is certanly not illegal for you to send the artists whatever amount of money you want as a donation or a gift.
Eagler: you'd think they (the copyright police) would be more worried about software costing in the 100's and thousands of $$$ you can download and use free of charge than a $19 music cd
You seem to be very confused here.
There is no "copyright police" involved. Music companies - the owners of the property being stolen - are suing the alleged thiefs. Since the property that was stolen from those owners is music, that's what they are suing about.
If the software companies are concerned about their property being stolen, they are free to sue the thiefs regardless of the action of the RIAA or anyone else.
miko