So when is it ok to burn?

To all of my dear readers, record collectors, newbs and fellow bloggers I pose a serious question to you.. After the wait time is over, the captcha entered and the progress bar has completed, after the .RAR has been extracted or the .ZIP file has been unzipped and the MP4 has been converted.. When is it ok to take your download to the next level and burn your spoils onto a cheap CD-R, only to be scribbled on with a dried out sharpie and then stored, yet admired indefinitely?

On this topic I have some very conflicting views of my own.. As a diehard record collector and an advocate of death metal overall, I believe you should fully support a band if you enjoy their material. You can do so of course by purchasing the album when it's released, possibly with a tshirt/bundle as well and definitely trying attend their shows when possible. But when it is impossible to do the before mentioned, is it ever ok to download their material and burn it for yourself? To revisit at will and to treasure, to keep locked away in the vaults of your own record collection and claim it as, well.. yours?

Sometimes imports and long out of print releases can draw some pretty absurd asking prices, even on the used market. Shipping over sea's and paying in foreign currency can also turn off some collectors.  Sometimes the material is so old and rare that it has never even pressed onto a cd to begin with. I think that downloading and burning off a copy of some hand drawn paper labeled lo-fi cassette tape from a now defunct band from the early 90's is just fine AND in a way you're actually keeping that recording, band and its energy alive for future listeners to enjoy. Better yet, recently some amazing labels have been constantly remastering and reissuing old obscurities and releasing them at great prices. I commend them, and have been trying to collect as many as possible, but it's not always that simple.. Then there is of course the band that has never even released their material onto a physical format, but yet offers mp3's to anyone who will listen, free of charge. Now dont get me wrong, leaks of new releases are fun and are sometimes a great way to commit yourself to a new purchase or artist but where do you draw that line between sampling and well.. owning?

Now, I am personally guilty of owning a lot of burned CD's.. Many were shared by friends, artwork and all, some searched for and downloaded after losing or damaging the original copy and then there are some that were downloaded on a drunken whim and then out of pure greed and obsession burned onto a measly .17 cent CD-R. So again, the readers of my vomits, I ask you...

When, in your opinion, is it ok to burn something that you've downloaded?