None of them will personally benefit from these court cases, since the remedies sought are injunctions against production and distribution of the relevant bootlegs, as well as a clarification of the law. However, the foresight and courage of these artists will ultimately benefit the entire industry. Historically, bootlegs have bee seen as flattering and had a rather racy cachet. However, much more is at stake. Bootlegging is now a multinational and multi-million dollar activity, illegal in many countries.
Bootlegs compete for shelf space and sale with authorized recordings.
Many artists have witnessed this phenomena while on concert tours. Sometimes a particular bootleg is released to coincide with a tour, long before the artist can even consider the merits of, or make arrangements for, the release of an official version. Bootleggers are undoubtedly being unjustly enriched by the enterprises of others, both the artists and those who finance, market and develop them. Artists also cannot control the quality of bootleg recordings being released in their name, with their photograph or image. Bootleggers do not pay artists royalties, so they also unfairly compete with the authorized record company releases, which must include royalties in the costs.