Bloody hell this is a long thread, I haven't read it all so I'm probably not adding anything new but here's my 10p worth anyway:

I can totally see the frustration in having unreleased stuff appear on soulseek, but like crime said the future is now and this sort of stuff is going to happen like it or not in this age of the internet. I think artists have to accept that this sort of thing is going to happen to an extent no matter what... this is surely particularly true with techno which has always been synonymous with a '**** you' attitude and a reluctance to pay for a good time. Like someone's already said stay up forever were happy enough for their cds to be taped back when it all started, surely using the net to do the same is a logical progression of the same ethos at the end of the day?

As I see it if someone plays a copied tune out somewhere that's indefensible - the promoter should take responsibility and not book them again. If someone downloads a tune and listens to it in their bedroom - it's not right, but it's always going to happen and it's just a continuation of the attitude that spawned techno in the first place... if they're a true fan and if it's good they'll always go buy the record - nothing you can get on soulseek will ever match that.

Making a decent living from techno was always going to be nigh-on impossible - that attitude problem makes for fantastic parties but I wouldn't want to rely on it to pay my rent :(