Maybe companies like Apple and Microsoft should just be allowed to buy whatever big labels they wish to. Allow the labels to retain staff to determine the future course for listening and playback income. Let the software people do what they do and allow the music people to do what they do. Too simple, maybe. But think of this, if we were in any other time say when Sony BMG bought the right to CBS records which helped to distribute that from Columbia Records, what would the outcome have been had we stood in the way of Sony? Would we have ever seen the CD? What if we had to wait for the next big company to come along? Seems to me that it’s only inevitable that the software companies are the next in line to dominate the market for awhile til the next big thing comes to swallow them up. We can fight it but it may only slow progress (not to mention cause confusion among listener’s as to whom to listen to, the RIAA or P2P/software developers. Seems like what we really need is a good security solution for the internet. Something that allows network neutrality but allows users to listen to but not own certain digital files (unless bought by their id tag. I’m not sure how that can be reached but I would imagine that if we the community, society, city, state, country can operate like the system suggests then maybe we can solve a lot of our problems =\

All of that said, maybe we should just be responsible and take care of those who enrich our lives. I don’t know. What do you think, is that a long shot??