Lyndahere, Bootlegging And Trading...Some interesting research.

“Bootlegging. The Underground Pipeline Is Live Music’s Lifeline Page 2” by Jason Schneider provides an overview of the bootlegged trade in Canada in 2000. 

The article outlines the establishment of laws around bootlegging, the arrests in the US and Canada for sale and trade in bootlegged material and the establishment of the Canadian Bootleg Trader's Index.

The Canadian Bootleg Trader's Index provided people interested in trading bootlegged material within Canada in a range of forms including cassettes, CD and MP3 with an avenue to do so.

“The same argument for promotion first emerged more than 30 years ago when bands like the Grateful Dead realised the value of letting their music circulate; their openness to tape-traders was one reason for the band's enduring popularity. Many bands have followed that example - Phish, Dave Matthews Band, U2, R.E.M. and Pearl Jam are among the biggest - encouraging fans to trade recordings as long money was kept out the transaction” (Schneider 2000).

"It's clear that a handful of bands dominate the CBTI list - that's the general nature of tape-trading - but it's not just the old-school traders who are hip to the netd trading scene now. I've added way more lists from women in the past year than ever before, and likewise I'm getting longer and more diverse lists, especially with collections branching out into jazz and other more experimental music that hasn't been traditionally big with traders,".

The Canadian Bootleg Trader's Index no longer exists. There is still however a community of traders on the look out for bootlegged material. They insist they do not do it for money but for the love of the music. I am sure that the trade has continued for serious traders as well despite the emergence of YouTube and the Internet but I am not exactly sure...