DRM--Artists must be diligent

So, I'm listening to NPR's News and Notes this evening and they're talking about Digital Rights Management (DRM).

Poor Apple has so many issues after selling its 100 Millioneth iPod. It has to worry about paying residuals to the artists for each song downloaded, or if the label was on its toes, a flat fee.

So, artists are forfeiting dollars for distribution. Okay, I get that on some level, but what do I care if 100 million people are listening to my music if I still make my music in the basement of my dad's house?

Intellectual Property rights are what make the artist money. It's what guarantees our sustainability. It's short-sighted to sell out on that. There's a great story in the Bible about Esau, who sells his birthright to his brother, Jacob, for bean stew. The point is: Jacob got him while he was hungry.

Don't let them do that to you.