I think Trey Ratcliff is onto something here in his article Five Reasons Why I Don't Care if My Stuff is Pirated.  Great ideas and ideals, wish more people would look at piracy the same way they do samples and teasers.  Websites and software figured it out a long time ago, but traditional media has sadly never really caught up to the digital age...

Now, don't get me wrong.  I think people should be paid for what they do.  Otherwise nobody gets fed, clothed or sheltered.  However, I think some creative types out there like Metallica went a bit over the top in how they handled things, which I think in the long run hurt them as artists.  Those that have embraced Trey's outlook have exploded into industries that they would never have otherwise had penetration into if they had not given things away.  I'm a huge fan of techno and electronica, and the sheer amount of material out there for free is astounding - and the artists are just getting bigger and better as a result.  Take Deadmau5 for example - relatively unheard of 3-4 years ago outside of his hometown, now an international sensation with his own label.  How'd he get started?  Great music, kitschy stage lunacy (played the first half of his sets wearing a giant mousehead), and samples online.  Look where he is now.

One could even say the same thing for software.  Although not pirated, my open-source contributions cost me nothing but time (and quite honestly many started from my desire to solve a problem in the first place, so would exist without any other motive), yet their exposure and availbility has put my name in front of potential clients several times, and I've made a few quid of beer money off the work - and met some cool people, great professional contacts as well.

So, next time you get overly protective of something you have created, realize that sometimes the exposure and goodwill you show now is an investment in your future growth and success.