my seven year old daughter has just spent her christmas money on an ipod nano. Can she have anything for free, or is the choice just, buy it or download it illegally?
That depends on what kind of music she is into. There are bands around, usually unsigned, who do make tracks available for free (it's one way to build up a following). And there is plenty of free software available which will let you rip tracks from CDs you already have.. Mind you, I have a vague memory that ripping tracks from CDs you buy may be illegal, but I doubt that anyone has been prosecuted for doing so, at least not unless they were subsequently shared.