I suspect the simple answer is the easier it is to do something the more people will do it. The more people do something the easier it is to abuse it. Lots of people don't automatically asume folks will try and bend or break the rules but some do. Also some folks are just greedy.
Also, how many Internet "friends" do we have? I bet many folks on the Lounge wouldn't have any qualms about sharing a music file with the other members of the Lounge. How many folks is that? What about your "friends" list on email or chat programs? Upload a file and hit "send." Bam, tens/hundreds of folks have the music. How many of those folks would you take the time to burn individual CDs for, box them up, pay the postage, and ship?
EDIT: this is in reply to Doc's query on the difference between digital transfer and hard copy transfer of copyrighted info. This is just a hypothesis.
Also, how many Internet "friends" do we have? I bet many folks on the Lounge wouldn't have any qualms about sharing a music file with the other members of the Lounge. How many folks is that? What about your "friends" list on email or chat programs? Upload a file and hit "send." Bam, tens/hundreds of folks have the music. How many of those folks would you take the time to burn individual CDs for, box them up, pay the postage, and ship?
EDIT: this is in reply to Doc's query on the difference between digital transfer and hard copy transfer of copyrighted info. This is just a hypothesis.
The Bill of No Rights
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. Robert A. Heinlein
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. Robert A. Heinlein