I believe the laws should stiffen the penalties for infringers.
Only someone who has never created a musical work could ever consider it valueless and believe it should be copied (stolen) for personal gain without compensation to the creator.
There are some who justify this by rationalizing that there's no money involved and the creators, the recording artists, the composers and the publishers already have enough.
It's easy to say "they've made enough money" when you can profit of of their effort without having made that effort yourself.
I still think
PRS for Music is the best example of an intelligent system that holds those who "use in commerce" accountable and allows for limited activity relevant to the rights being licensed.
I would add that, there should be harsh penalties including fines, jail and being barred from engaging in the occupation (producing events with any music not created by you) if you are found without a license. You don't have the license, you're breaking the law. Simple as that.
Copyrights and trademarks exist for some very fundamental reasons. Never in history has it been so apparent as to their value and function. That is because never in history has it been so easy to take it without consideration.
Music is art. It amazes me that fans and music lovers will simply disregard that fact. Call me crazy, but I believe it shows both honor and respect to the artist, NOT to steal their art or copy their art for profit.
I have a streaming service. I have an iTunes account. I have an AM/FM tuner in my home and my car. Music has never been more readily available to the public. The selection has never been so vast. The truth is, I remember paying $15 - $40 for an album when it was released. Now, I only buy the album (usually about $9.99) instead of the single if it happens to be a band that I really love (Tom Petty, The Black Keys come to mind). Music has never been less expensive either. You can't justify stealing.