WHEN someone like Robbie Williams says that music piracy is a good idea, how can we blame or even punish Ronald Ashworth who was convicted by Burnley magistrates of selling copy compact discs over the internet? (LET, January 23).

When every new personal computer is sold equipped with a CD writer, isn't it a case that technology is making us all into potential CD pirates?

The cost of a blank disc is now about 10p and it takes only two minutes to 'burn' a disk. Surely , this is giving every user a licence to print money.

Probably the majority of PC users have some form of counterfeit software in their possession -- and who can blame them with the cost of games in the shops?

I am glad that the courts saw sense when being lenient with Mr Ashworth. At the end of the day, he was just an enterprising scallywag not a rapist, mugger, drug dealer or dosser.

A RILEY, Higher Causeway, Barrowford.