The record industry sunk to a new low today, if that is at all possible, by announcing that they are going to begin suing "pirates" who "illegally" download music rather than purchase it. That in itself is a joke, as I have always been a strong believer that you can't stop the advance of technology - and that the ridiculously high price of a CD warrants free downloading. But the real joke of this new wave of lawsuits is that the first person being sued by the record companies - is a 12-year-old schoolgirl.

Brianna LaHara is one of 261 people being sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as part of their new "Anti-Piracy Campaign" against downloading of music from internet sites such as KaZaA - a site that I have no problem admitting that I frequent. If convicted, these "pirates" could be liable for up to $150,000 per downloaded - or "stolen" song.

Personally, I have 417 music files on my computer that I have proudly downloaded from KaZaA and other sites. So if I am sued by the people who I feel are the real "pirates," the RIAA - I would owe them $62,550,000.

Bill me.

What the RIAA and the people in the music industry fail to realize is that we are not pirates - we are beginning an evolution. An evolution that will eventually see the fall of the "fat cat" record companies that have made billions of dollars off of the backs of music fans over the last fifty years. I can say that it has been years since I have actually purchased a music CD, for a number of reasons. First of all, I know for a fact that CDs cost less than ten cents to manufacture, and nothing to duplicate - so why does it cost twenty dollars to buy J-Lo's latest album? Second, if the technology is there, readily available - and free - why give my hard earned money to these "fat cat" executives? And considering that millions of songs are downloaded every day - I am not the only one who feels this way.

I was listening to Q-104.3 and heard a story told by afternoon DJ Ken Dashow, who bought his young nephew CDs for a holiday gift. Ken said that when his nephew opened the present, he asked, "Uncle Ken, did you buy these?" When Ken said that he did, his nephew's response was, "But Uncle Ken, music is free now." What does that say about the future of the music industry?

Apparently, the music industry, in addition to launching this "Anti-Piracy Campaign" has agreed to begin lowering the prices of their records to hopefully entice more sales. To me, that proves my original argument that record prices are purposely inflated to fill the pockets of those "fat cat" executives - who are certainly the ones behind this ludicrous attack on 12-year-old "pirates" who simply are realizing that the era of purchasing music is over - and the download revolution has only just begun.

As for me - lawsuits and the RIAA be dammed. I will continue to download music as often as I always have, not to make a profit - but to stop "fat cat" executives from making one.