>>>The only solution i'm thinkin' about is to find the MP3 somewhere (i'm sure somebody got it)...
>>
>>I have the CD :-) But I agree, I do the same thing to learn songs, and when I've learnt the song, I delete the file. Thats all you need to do :-)
>
>And if it takes two weeks to learn the song? Two years? And where'd you get 7 days? Did you make it up?
>
>Are you still claiming to be moral, or admitting that learning a song is one instance where you're willing to be wrong?

I think that use of MP3s might fall under the "fair use" section of the copyright law. You can make a copy of any copyrighted document/recording for your own use. However, you cannot sell the recording, and you may not be able to perform the song in public for pay, or volunteer your band at a for-pay event. Yes, it's OK to tape copyrighted TV shows and movies and show them at family gatherings, but it is NOT OK to show it when people pay to see it.

The problem with Napster is that it's just TOO easy to avoid buying the music. Are most people downloading MP3s to learn a song and delete them, or are they building a large library of custom CDs, intentionally NOT purchasing the albums? The "fair use" distinction gets a real work-out here.

And if the work is no longer produced and available (in the print world, that phrase is "in print"), making copies is OK.

- della