Dead wrong. This is the way that generations of musicians, composers, artists and their representatives worked out to be paid for the use of their intellectual property. It's the way it is because a lot of musicians worked hard politically and made it possible to be paid for musical work in a variety of ways. Too easy and too often music is taken for granted, even by other musos. I find it incredible that some musicians can dismiss this fact so easily... we are the beneficiaries of this process as songwriters and recording artists. I am a member of BMI as well as a live performer - the people who work for me to collect music royalties aren't "stupid" or "vultures". It's hypocritical to make such judgmental statements without trying to understand what it's really all about.