It's an extremely tricky reality of a capitalist economy.

Digital media has essentially entered a post-scarcity economy in the Internet age. Music, movies, tv shows, images, books, etc. can be copied and downloaded in seconds from inside someone's home. The only limits are download speed and storage space.

It's hard to dissuade someone from using that kind of power when their money also needs to go toward food, electricity, rent, etc. They may understand the importance of art and the need to keep artists well funded, but other concerns will keep them saving their earnings when they can if they know they can consume the art and entertain themselves freely.

Is there a solution to this in a free-market, capitalistic society? I don't know.

Strict DRM seems to be badly implemented a lot of the time, often limiting or inconveniencing the consumer. The new world where digital works are licensed and not owned is strange to me as well. Streaming services have found success, but they seem to be less profitable for artists.

I just don't know whether spreading the value of art and reminding people that artists are workers, too, is enough. Maybe the idea of a federal program could work, though. Problem is getting people to support that.