There is an interesting article about release group structures in the most recent Wired.

One of those interviewed also works for media corporations, both to altert them about the imminent arrival of their goods online, or to allow them to insinuate their product into the distribution mechanism. This reinforces the point made in Pirate Autonomies that piracy can be veiwed critically, as a form of invisible labour, handmaiden in the broader scheme of promotion through affinity/affective labour.

In fact, Forest believes the scene will eventually go legit, and he's even started a company, called Jun Group, that uses the topsites to promote movies, musicians, and TV shows. "The topsites don't care where their files come from, as long as no one else has them," he says. Last summer Jun Group dropped a collection of live videos and MP3s from Steve Winwood on the topsites. "We got 2.9 million downloads," says Forest, "and album sales took off."