According a report in today's New York Times, at least one major record label considering taking the copy restrictions off of its downloadable MP3 files. 

Now this would not make the MP3s free exactly, but would make them able to be copied and copied and copied from device to device to device ...

Obviously, this will put a dent into overall music sales, which have been treading water -- CD sales down, downloaded music sales up -- but the latter not up enough to make up for the fall in the "hard copy" sales.

Now, what's good for consumers here (the "gadget holders") isn't necessarily good for the record labels -- and why doesn't anyone ever talk about the recording artists in all of these discussions?

Seems they should be in the middle of this -- "Shouldn't I have some say in that decision?" as John Mayer would ask ...