If the RIAA has it's way we'll soon be communicating via memos produced on typewriters. If the RIAA wins in it's various court cases. then P2P as we know it will be shutdown, but to me the ramifications could be much larger. If P2P can be shutdown because files can be shared, then we'll need to shutdown all forms of electronic communication, the internet, the telephone, e-mail, websites, all of these can be used to share copyrighted music.

The music industry and RIAA need to catch up with the rest of the world. They need to look at why copying music is so popular. Is it because it's free? maybe, or is it because the current prices are considered too high? We don't need to look any further than the success of iTunes to see there is the opportunity and people will pay if the price is right. For me personally, I want to see a subscription model, I pay 20 bucks a month and I get access to all the music I want, I can listen to what I want, when I want.

If it's quicker to download a CD from web to opening one with all the needless "security seals" then I might as well have a better experience downloading it.

Software went through a similar phase about 10 years ago, business software was priced at around $495 and all kinds of steps were taken to protect the software from being copied. Did it stop copying? No. Did it deter college students from getting the latest 1-2-3 from a college buddy? No. but competitive prices and listening to customers who were constantly complaining about corrupt key disks did.