Madam, - I am at a loss as to how I can be accused of "cynical exploitation" with easyMusic.com ("Easy come easy go for easy music", the Ticket, June 11th). The idea behind this music download site is that musicians can leave their work there free and the public can download it and share it free.
It is true that my next step will be to work out how to generate revenue from this site. But what I am doing is bringing some competition into the music business and the result of competition is that more artists will be able to "publish" their work for consumers to appreciate for nothing. When and if they transfer to a normal online copyright business model this should lower prices to consumers. I think the price of CDs is too high and that there are more efficient processes to be brought into the business in order to make them cheaper.
As a business easyMusic should try to make money; otherwise it cannot continue to exist. Presumably that's why The Irish Times charges people for a copy: it has to survive and pay its journalists even if their articles are "miserable warblings".
STELIOS, Serial entrepreneur and easy Group chairman, Gloucester Crescent, London NW1.