Song-Swapping Steals from Artists

I am truly offended by the review in today’s paper (“With File-Swapping Services, Popularity Really Does Count,” June 29) about file-swapping Web sites and software.

As it was written, this article implied endorsement of stealing intellectual property and I take issue with the Los Angeles Times for even printing it. What’s next? An article on how to print money or steal software? Hey, it’s illegal, but the technology’s there and you can’t stop technology. Your disclaimer was barely there.

The gist of the article took care of any qualms one may have had against stealing. Napster isn’t just hurting the “big, bad record companies” or the “rich recording artists.” It hurts all the artists out there making music for a living who aren’t millionaires. The rest of us out there do our jobs, have our kids, have our lives, and we depend on earning our living from the music we write.

What is this teaching our children? That property ownership doesn’t mean anything if you can find a way to get it free? Get what you can for nothing? Just remember, if musicians can’t earn a living making music, they won’t make any more and we won’t have that which enriches our lives every day.

Support the musicians, buy their records and go to their gigs. Don’t steal from them.

CLAIR MARLO

Valencia

*

Send letters to: The Cutting Edge, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Submit e-mail letters to cutting.edge@latimes.com. Please keep letters brief; they are subject to editing. Letters must contain your address and phone number.