Ron Chaplin asked if MP3 copies prevent artists from being compensated. The organizaton that originally promoted MP3 distribution through computer connections originally intended for artists to be able to bypass the "interference" of big record companies. The concept was that listenners should be able to use the software completly without cost or compensation of the artists. The artists envisioned free distribution as primarily a method to obtain public recognition without expensive industry distribution costs promulgated by the high overhead industry business system. Most recently (past few months) the MP3 Group realized that completly uncompensated artists/producers made little sense and so agreed to work with the industry to institute a mechanism by which artists and copywright owners could be compensated. The technical system chosen is to provide an encoding scheme to MP3 data in such a manner that each "purchaser" of an MP3 recording will obtain the proper code by purchasing some kind of limited "right to play" the music. The transactions will no doubt take place with credit card purchases or subscription schemes to be determined. The key to the system is the playback device which enables proper codes to be entered to decode playback as well as the ability to retain public domain "no code" music which has existed up to this time and can continue to be available in the future. Members of the classical music public should be wary of limits of this technology, for playback quality better suits the tiny portable machines for which the system was intended. The highly compressed data which enables MP3 digital code to fit within limited storage capacity does not meet current CD standards, let alone future DVD, high resolution digital audio. Bernard Gregoire Hingham, MA