Dear Wise Guys...(Wasinton Post article)

Dear Wise Guys - washingtonpost.com
Category: News and Politics

Three Wise Guys - washingtonpost.com

Dear Wise Guys:

I listen to a CD from one of my favorite artists (Vernon Reid) a lot. Maybe three times a week on average. I think it is worth more than I paid for it ($0), because apparently it is a bootleg. The tracks are not available online(*). Should I destroy the CD since I did not pay for it and have no right to its aural fruits, should I find the guy's agent and mail him a check for $15, or should I just keep listening?

Dave

Joe: This is your lucky day, Dave. Instead of turning you in to the Recording Industry Association of America or Homeland Security or whoever polices these things, we e-mailed your question to Vernon Reid (of Living Colour fame) directly. Here's his response: "The moral quandary that the reader is dealing with is one that I wish more downloaders would engage in. . . . I guess my answer is that if he feels that it's worth $15, then he should pay for it as if he were a Radiohead fan buying "In Rainbows" -- paying what he feels it's worth. I'm happy that this listener took the time to engage his conscience with regards to the ethical responsibilities that exist between artist and fan. . . . If he decides to pay for the CD, he should send the check and the CD to me. If he does, I'll personally autograph it and send it back with one of my guitar picks."

Dave, we'll e-mail you Vernon's address so you can take him up on his offer. How's that for reader service?

(*) - This Little Room (unreleased)