The ethics of "bootlegging"

>
> Bill Whitaker wrote:
>
> >Bootlegging to me
> is commercial size operations making big bucks as was rife not long

ago

> >in places like Hong Kong, not people swapping their own off-air
> recordings but I suppose not >all will agree with me there.
>
> As someone who made a (modest) contribution to the show, as Music

Advisor for the last two series, please let me jump in and cheer this
to the rafters – EXACTLY. Not just with Onedin Line. From time to
time, I see my BBC radio shows on Usenet – and I'm always delighted
to see them there, because that is where the real fans are – just
like here. Similarly, I see the occasional glimpse of myself on
YouTube. If the BBC can't get it together to put this stuff out,
those people who watched us week in, week out the first time out (or
who want to discover the show anew) should be allowed to use whatever
means they can to get hold of the shows – because who will be first
to the stores when the official issue comes out (if it does)?
Precisely. Those unofficial issues create new fans and keep us alive
in the hearts of old ones. Obviously, when sales get into 5 or 6
figures, then we need to talk – but the people we need to talk to are
at the BBC.

>
> By the way, I was clearing my basement yesterday, and came across

an autograph card of Laura Hartong. Now, there's someone I haven't
thought of for a while. Very American and utterly unrecognisable out
of costume …

>
> Bill Scanlan Murphy
>

Dear Bill,

I am just watching series 4(?) where Charlotte as a child has
diptheria. She has passed the crisis (sighs of relief abound). Was
Laura Hartong popular enough at the time to generate autograph cards?
There is a Laura Hartong on Facebook with a photo, but I don't see
much resemblance – how old would she be now?? Was she American?
Cheers and happy holidays to all Onedinites. Anybody know whatever
happened to Mary Webster??

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