Re: cassettes, that's actually not the case. To try to combat the "problem" as these companies saw it, there was a tax levied on blank recordable materials that was then distributed to owners and creators.

The pricing of CDs is really only part of the problem. "Free" will always be more appealing to some than "cheap". The current state of affairs has many components to it and the biggest reason we're here can probably be attributed to the lack of foresight and obstinacy on behalf of the recorded music industry to find a viable solution -- and most specifically the RIAA.

The crux of the matter is distribution. If creators and owners choose to put their stuff up on the internet, that's one thing but it is quite another for someone else to do it who does not have that right. It is not up to a user to determine whether to put something up on the internet and make the decision that something "belongs to the world". It is the call of the owners and creators, not the general public. Same reason pertains to why there are guidelines here on NT and other places on the internet for printed materials.