I ME MINE

Years ago, George Harrison sang about the disgrace of "I Me Mine." He anticipated the "me" generation, soon represented by magazines like "SELF."

At allofMP3.com, where arrogant Russian thugs take all of Western music, their defense is "WE" as in "we should do what we want, and that means taking music without permission and selling it for their own profit.

Typical Russian immorality? Look at what American bloggers are doing, and those in the U.K., Germany, Holland or South America. In these countries copyright is clearly the law, but it's "I me Mine." The bloggers feel they have a right to take somebody's newest album, not even in stores, and give it away.

The RIAA has filed suit against the Russians demanding "$150,000 for each instance of copyright infringement." Joining with the RIAA, the U.S. Government and world leaders are threatening Russia's admittance to the World Trade Organization.

This is no longer about swapping a few tunes. It's about the wreckage of companies and the destruction of lives. People are on unemployment lines or taking part-time jobs because the royalties are gone, offices are letting workers go and sales are flat.

Every selfish ninny with an I-Me-Mine attitude and a "Donate to Paypal" banner on his blog is part of the problem.

Every childish conspirator who floods a forum with complete discographies of an artist's work is part of the problem.

Every smirking fool who writes "this album is out of print therefore copyright no longer exists" is part of the problem.

In U.S. District Court's description for allofMP3.com: "notorious online black market...poster child for Internet music piracy."

Other poster children include the bloggers who post dozens of downloads a day out of their I-ME-MINE desire to have attention at all costs to other people.