In today's age, it is normal for a popular music album to be "leaked" onto the internet a couple of weeks early.  The common vibe from the music industry is angst towards the pre-release leak, but some speculate that, in reality, the record companies are usually the ones who initiate the leak in hopes of receiving feedback.

You never really hear of music artists complaining about leaks because if there is a strong demand, it proves there is a desire from consumers, and the record usually sells anyway.  However this past summer, when Kevin Cogill posted nine songs from the latest Guns N' Roses album, "Chinese Democracy,"  on his blog, they were not happy.  The FBI soon arrested the blogger who at one point faced up to three years in prison under the young Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005.  After gaining support from the online music community, Cogill was able to afford his own attorney, David Kaloyanides.  This week, Kaloyanides succeeded in getting Cogill to face only a year of probation with a plea bargain that's due to take place next month.

Lead guitarist, Slash has said he hopes "he rots in jail. It's going to affect the sales of the record, and it's not fair. The Internet is what it is, and you have to deal with it accordingly, but I think if someone goes and steals something, its theft."  While he appears infuriated, Guns N Roses also released a statement saying their main intent was to find out the source of the material that reached Cogill.  The lower sentencing probably has to do with the revealing of the source.