Music wants to be free

If Sony and other labels would just adhere to this Digital Consumer's Bill of Rights, the world of online music would be a much better place, both for the consumers and producers of music.

In the early days of the Internet, holders of copyrighted information were enraged by the mantra, "Information wants to be free." As scary as that is for those who make money selling information -- either in digital or analog form -- it's true, and not a new idea. Anyone who's ever told a secret they shouldn't have knows this.

Fortunately, there are some music-industry folks who get it, and as proof, Martin at gHacks.net has compiled a list of 40 sites that give away music.

Independent artists have even adopted a method to alert fans that they won't face 20 years of prison time for downloading their songs. In an effort to combat the FBI's Anti-Piracy Seal, they have created an alternative logo for artists who aren't concerned with file sharing and federal level copyright infringement.