1. And you think copyright issues are complicated now. Just wait until the US Copyright Act of 1976 expiration rules start kicking in. Well. This should be fun. Read more on Wired.
2. You may remember that a few weeks back Lily Allen took a stand against file sharing and scolded musicians who have said that they don't mind the practice one bit. Now, she has explained herself a little further.  It seems she doesn't care if someone burns a copy of her album and sells it. She just doesn't want her music given away for free. So, basically, the one thing she IS ok with is for you to engage is the very clearly illegal activity of reproducing a copyright protected work and selling it for profit. Yes, don't share for free. Commit a federal offense instead. I think the bottom line here is that you should never, ever take legal advice from Lily Allen. Read more on the dreaded Perez Hilton.
3. Let's be clear about something. Going to jail doesn't help you sell more records. Going to jail simply prevents you from being able to record, tour, promote and all of those other things that are involved in actually selling music. While we're on the subject of who not to take advice from, don't ever take legal OR career advice from Lil Boosie.
4. On Musician Wages this week: How to Find a Music Lawyer. This very helpful article, written by Rick Goetz (check out his site), is part one of a three part series on how to find the right partners for your music career. Part two will appear here tomorrow. Part three will be on Rick's site next week. Enjoy!

It's weekly forum poll time again! First, the results from the last week. The question was: Should Labels/Musicians Still Press CDs? The results came down mostly in favor - 68% said yes, 21% said no and 11% said it depends. Interesting. It's not to late to share your thoughts about the question, or indeed the results, so let me know what you think!

And now, this week's question:  Do Full Length Albums Still Matter? Vote now!

Which music career is the right one for you? Check out the pros and cons of some common industry jobs to see which ones sound right up your alley and which ones would send you running. Got pros and cons of your own to add about music industry careers? Let me know!

Related Articles

• Music Career Pros and Cons
• Music Career Pros and Cons Part Two

As a former record store employee and lifetime dedicated record aficionado, I know exactly how disastrous the collapse of so many independent record stores is for indie music. Record stores that are staffed by music fans who spend their days making sure their customers are discovering all of the hidden gems bubbling below the surface can be instrumental in local bands/indie musicians building a fanbase.

Despite the incredible resources record stores can be, the small stores have gone under in droves. What's a fan to do? That's where Erik Peterson and Plugola come in. Plugola is designed to be the digital version of your favorite record store - a place where you can discover new music and a place where musicians can get their music directly to fans. In this interview, Peterson discusses setting up Plugola, what services are offered on the site and how he thinks it can help musicians and fans cope with the new music industry reality.

Related Articles

• Interview: Erik Peterson of Plugola
• Interview: David Gedge of The Wedding Present
• Interview: Blair McDonald of Nettwerk Music Group
• More Interviews