[holden]

Ok, so i'm not usually in favor of downloading album leaks, because, aside from the major fans like you dirties that will buy the album, i think a lot of sales are lost because casual listeners will just DL the leak and if the sound quality's ok, not bother to buy the record. That hurts UW.

BUT - in the case of internet streams - this is akin to how we used to tape songs off the radio. Most of the time, it's inferior sound quality, lo bit rate and glitchy or incomplete - something for the hardcore fans to collect and share (NOT sell). For live gigs like this, (a) most won't get released for profit anyway or (b)if they are to be released, as in the case of this iTunes EP, it will get the remastered treatment.

(sidenote: consider the gigs that were compiled to create "Everything, Everything". Many of us probably have bootlegs of those shows, but certainly the sum of those parts was much greater for the final CD release, and having a boot of the Pinkpop 1998 gig or whatever wouldn't deter someone from buying E,E., i don't think)

Of course, the band's attitute towards bootlegging is a factor. AFAIK, Underworld have allowed RTSR to exist and share, and have themselves posted a lot of live material on their site over the years. It's on the fans to be respectful and not abuse the band's generosity for sharing via broadcasts and downloads - people that sell bootlegs for money are violating copyright and making profit on something that isn't their creation. But i think a fan that is interested enough to record and collect streams or dodgy audience tapes is probably pretty devoted to said band anyway and will def. buy the Real Deals, be they iTunes EPs or Deluxe Edition Imports.