Do we owe musicians for consuming their art?
It is important to acknowledge that music cannot be owned; neither by its creator or its listener. We should have no legal obligation to treat music as the property of someone else. A physical cd or record can be owned and possessed but not the thoughts and ideas that went into its production. One critical component for this distinction between tangible and intellectual property is scarcity. With tangible property, we are competing for use of scarce resources; one person cannot do something different with the same piece of property as someone else at the same time. Ownership and possession help to eliminate these potential conflicts. However, with intellectual property, this conflict does not exist. Ideas, concepts, thoughts, and the like can be used by many at the same time in different ways for different ends. Enforcement of intellectual property laws can, and most likely will, trump the rights all human beings should have to do with their property (including their bodies) as they see fit so far as it does not come in conflict with another's equal rights. We should be under no legal obligation to compensate an artist for their ideas.
The better, and ultimately more subjectively answered, question to consider is what should be our response to creative works. Although we should have no legal obligation to compensate an artist for a work of art we've consumed, we should, at some point, have a moral persuasion. The point at which that persuasion should lead to action is certainly left to the conscience of the consumer, but I think there are factors we should consider. We should recognize and appreciate the efforts that go in to the creative process and the extent to which these efforts have enriched our lives. We should also want this artist to continue creating. Many artists would most likely continue on regardless of monetary compensation because they have other driving forces, but, in the case of music, many of the tools and technologies that have made music production less expensive have been created because of the needs of those who make a living from their craft. We should show appreciation, monetarily, for artists whose music we like and listen to using our own subjective guides to determine when and how much so that the flow of resources continues and allows artistic creation to flourish. An artist spends money, as well as time and energy (which are indirectly sources of money) and if his or her output enriches my life in some way, I should play some part in minimizing this cost of his/hers. Ultimately, the most important thing is for us all to be honest with ourselves and treat the artist with a basic respect we owe all human life. If an artist wants a certain amount of money for something they've created and we, after an honest evaluation, expect to derive or have derived this much value, we should respect this artist enough to compensate them. Artistic output does not have to suffer in a world without intellectual property laws, so long as we are willing to treat each other respectfully and honestly.