We do get to make choices, but our choice should be to use our political power and our purchasing power to A. change the political leadership to those who support our cause and B. deprive Universal of money by using other services. Any entrepreneurs among us can also start new services for us to use.

If we engage with violence, our cause will be irreparably damaged. Many people only support pirates because we stand up against an unjust organization. If we begin using violence, their opinions will instantly shift, and the will of the populace will turn strongly against us. Whoever we target will be martyred in the eyes of the public, and we will be demonized. So long as the citizens of whatever country we happen to live in believe in democracy, we can create any lasting solution to our problem with a violent vigilante solution. Patience and determination can win this war for us, not rashness and haste.

Use the court system and the court of public opinion, and Universal will either be defeated in court, or will be shown to cheat in court. Either way, we make progress.

No offense, but this sounds like an agenda-driven, or just ignorant opinion. Businesses want to get paid for creating a marketplace. Providing an efficient means for goods and services to be bartered, bought, and/or sold. The customers and vendors can both enjoy a flea market, but shouldn’t begrudge the lot owner and builder of the tables and stations and restrooms their due. It’s all to provide the market that both artists/producers and consumers/buyers need for a win-win relationship. There is no free lunch. There are no servers that are free of charge, with free electricity to run them, free RAID arrays to back them up, free staff to patch them with operating and vulnerability updates, etc., etc. It takes ALOT of money to provide a marketplace to others.

Grooveshark is trying to do it in a more efficient manner than Universal. Universal wants to destroy the competition, rather than compete with it. They use cloak and dagger tactics, their buddies in the media market, anyone who can be intimidate by a chance to work with them or partner. Glad to hear the GShark victory, and hope more innovative marketplaces can be developed, and supported by the larger community.

Don’t hate on capitalism or business, when it is trying to efficiently provide you with options you otherwise would not have.

I have no affiliation with GS, Univ, the industry, none of this. I just saw the news item, and read the comments.