None of you live in China I take it. I happen to collect out of print soul, disco, house, funk music from the past 35 years. One thing I can say is that if the money doesnt go to the artist or the artists family you don't need to concern yourself with copying it, burn all the copies you want because otherwise no one else will EVER hear the music. I spend half my life looking for rare music in real life, online, hidden in friends homes, anywhere it exists, and when i finally find it it makes my day and i want to share it with the world. I own many records that were limited to 500 or 1000 pressings, many of them now destroyed or in collectors attics. Major record companies are rarely more than legalized mafia they will not keep in print many artists albums simply because they do not "think" they will sell enough copies (or just want to manipulate the market for new trends). Even at the artists request they will not print them if the artist does not have enough clout. I knew a man named Charles Wright from the watts 103rd street rhythm band in Los Angeles a pioneering funk band from 1967-70 and he couldnt even sell me a copy of his own out of print cd-re-release made by warner bros. because he only had one copy of it left in stock and it was illegal to made a CD-R..(Thank God many long-forgotten artists ignore unjust laws and will make copies of work THEY own, but maybe not legally cause they sold the rights for a cadillac) Independent small time labels are another story, they deserve our financial support..but they do also need promotion with exposing their artists..The laws can not catch up with the changes of the mediums. Blessed Marshall Mcluhan pray for us. I can't answer all the questions, but be careful in your scrutinization to not miss the spirit of the law. The word of the law is not worth much except for court rooms. Lastly remember in most countries the law is that after 50 years all music is public domain and it is completely free to distribute and resell as you like. In the USA though it takes 80 years.
