Have you illegally photocopied music? Do you remember why you did it?
Was it that you couldn't get what you wanted in time? Or, was it that you just didn't want to spend the money? Or, perhaps you just couldn't bring yourself to go to your local music store? Whatever the circumstance, you probably remember the excuse you made to yourself!
But, do you know why you had to find an excuse? Why was it necessary for you to find a reason an explanation to justify what you did?
It is so easy to steal music! The photocopier is efficient and convenient and it is so easy to run off a few copies! The problem is that there are too many people "just running off a few copies" – so many, in fact, that some important works available today will not be available in the near future.
When people steal music, they are stealing from composers, publishers, and fellow musicians.
Ultimately this means that composers are forced to write only in those areas which are least subject to photocopying. Publishers are forced to put more and more music out of print. Print-runs are continually reduced because of falling sales due to photocopying, and as a result the cost of printed music continues to rise. The increase in price leads to more photocopying, and eventually a point is reached when the publisher just cannot afford to spend more money onanother reprint. So, another piece of music becomes permanently out-of-print. The composer whose work it is, ceases to earn royalty, and those who want to perform the work cannot, because they can no longer find copies.
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