I don't see any point about arguing about what is a reasonable price point, audio CDs are lower priced then ever (when you take inflation into account) and this is mostly due to the music industry trying to stop the decline in music sales.

For me the issue here is wether the government should be able to put the emphasis on ISPs to enforce piracy laws on behalf of the BPI, etc. In my opinion they should not do this, this is like putting the blame on car manufacturers for people who drive these cars in a reckless way & making manufactuers install black boxes in every new car to track where we go and report back to the authorities everytime we break a posted speed limit.

It is so funny that the way the British Phonographic Industry want to deal with "piracy" is with spam!

How do the ISP's verify that it is indeed illegal music being downloaded. I mean, do they only monitor limewire IP addresses?

The recording industry would like you all to know that you are all thieves! bagginses! You steal the precious and we hateses you all!

Now please come and buy more Music.

"Now please come and buy more Music."

I think we have found the problem! (Aside from problems with reading and comprehension...)

You need to START buying music!

Stopping piracy is one thing. I mean, okay so bittorrent's gone mainstream and now everyone on the web steals. What was once an underground movement is just gone out in the open and totally out of control. True I agree.

BUT, what about the record industry and what they will do for us? They want to stop people from stealing music so does that mean they are finally ready to lower their darn prices on CDs?

"BUT, what about the record industry and what they will do for us? They want to stop people from stealing music so does that mean they are finally ready to lower their darn prices on CDs?"

What?
I guess it then follows if we expect you to start thinking and employing logic that we need to go very slowly and use only simple words with you.

Considering inflation over the past 30 years, recorded media prices are lower than they have ever been. Especially if you don't run out and stupidly pay list price which there is absolutely no need to do!

The problem isn't the price, its the dearth of current worthwhile material worth buying. While classic material is readily available for less than $10.

Of course, you could always ask your mommy raise your allowance.

What's up with all this personal bashing again? Who are you trying to outsmart here? Yourself? All I am implying is that big record corporations could see CDs sell for $7.99 and still profit amply. Jerk.

Another post totally ignorant of cost structure.

Arbitrarily making up price points is cute, but incorrect. How about spending a fraction of the 30 minutes it must have taken you to type your well researched post and use it to research the actual cost structure of hard copy music distribution.

...And out smart you? Really now... LOL!

Dude you're really annoying...will you just die already. Find yourself a girlfriend, get a dog, and just forget it okay? I was wrong to waste your time with my post. I am sorry I didn't research all the actual facts. I am not worthy of your greatness. I will roam now quietly into the night and rethink my life on Betanews.com.

"Around 6.5 million Britons are thought to have downloaded pirated material; the government did not specify how many of this group would receive letters as part of the enforcement action."

Sounds to me like a waste of paper.

In Soviet Britain, the government downloads YOU.

It's gradually getting that way.
The government desperately needs changing. It would have changed last time if the opposition's leader wasn't dracula.

Well I guess the companies have to try to keep the cash flowing into their pockets.....but comparatively little to the artists. The companies have expenses after all. This latest idea will make money for the post office.

Why don't they put all this effort in a different direction: trying to come up with a way to monetize the downloads? Hint...DRM files will not work.

Can anyone remind me if prohibition worked in the US?

In an end-result way, yes, prohibition did work. There was such a demand that bootlegging became a profitable business, and was horribly unregulated. Eventually the good-intention behind prohibition was disregarded as it was leading to more harm than good, and prohibition was repealed.

Another self entitled Bozo who grants themselves non-existent rights to another's property.

Prohibition huh? And you think that is equivalent to some illegally downloading or sharing files without the compensation of the owners and producers of the material?

Not only did prohibition fail, but evidently so has the education system, genius.

You folks are hilarious, and sad.

"Can anyone remind me if prohibition worked in the US?"

It sure didn't. Now the drug dealers are growing marijuana in national parks and shooting at tourists. Those Amerikans can't even stop illegal aliens (gangsters) from shooting kids with illegal guns which they are supposed to have either. Enforce those laws, hell no...

I guess you don't care that corporate thieves are ripping off the suckers who bought their 99 cent music downloads from the old MSN music store that stopped working a few months ago. Now Yahoo is doing the same thing. If you patronized those crooks, your songs won't play starting in September either. Refunds? No way. If piracy is the only way to avoid this DRM rip-off then a lot of people are gonna keep on doing it...

Blah blah blah

What others are doing has no bearing on the fact that individuals are stealing material as well.

Your logic is as utterly ridiculous as you are.

Gee whiz, some guy on TV robbed a liquor store! Why should I have to pay for oranges!

Great illogic dimwit.

Again more reason not to be with the large ISPs in the UK.

/demon user

And another reason not to illegally download media files without compensation to the owners and producers.

But that concept escapes the "but it is free as I have entitled myself to another's work without compensation" nitwits.

Whine on....

Talk about whiners.

Poor baby.

But you see, I don't have to worry about receiving letters and crying over the fact that others don't like my stealing from them.

And I am not being sued for doing so.

We just have to listen the repeated whining of @ssholes who knowingly and intentionally break the law cry that they are so stupid to have done so.

Being a victim is just SO hard! LOL! And the really funny thing is that we get to laugh at you!

Maybe laying on the ground and kicking your feet will make your insipid whining over being a poor stupid willful 'victim' will make your case more convincing...