It’s right there…point four on the text downloaded to Moses’ tablet: “thou shalt not steal” …if you didn’t acquire something legally and morally, then it’s not yours and you can’t just take it…but humans being a thieving species, we need that spelled out in our religious texts and legal codes.

Still, we steal a lot…money, food, clothing, cars, mobile phones, alcohol, drugs, jewelry, horses, razor blades—and music.

There are two main ways to steal music: claim or copy something someone else has written as your own creation…or to illegally acquire a finished piece of music without properly compensating the creator and the owners who hold the rights to that song. 

The music problem goes back centuries, but it became a global issue starting in the 90s…and there has been no end to people who willing to steal music or to facilitate its theft.

I’m this time on “uncharted: crime and mayhem in the music industry,” we’re going to look at those people: the pirates who made stealing music possible and how they did it.

These are some brazen, colourful, weird, and occasionally clueless people behind all that illegal (and often) free music out there…and boy, have I got some stories for you.

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