Websites and programs that allow music sharing and downloading tend to be thought of as illegal, but why? Yes, stealing is wrong, but downloading is not stealing. Stealing is considered taking something that no one else can now have. When you download songs, it is still accessible for other people. Consider it in relation to a library or video store. They rent out movies, but do not pay per rental to the director of the movie. In fact, most libraries do not even have a charge for movie rentals as long as you have a library card. This is the same as what the internet does for music. Does that make libraries and movie stores illegal?
In regards to the copyrights, it also proves to show that downloading and sharing is not illegal. The copyrights are there for the purpose of showing ownership, not allowing illegal reproduction. This means copyrighted objects are not to be reproduced or used for a profit. These rules are being followed because there is no profit and it is not being reproduced, but instead it is being shared. It is not being sold, it is not being recreated, so what makes it wrong? Why do you think music sharing networks are considered illegal? All they do is allow a circulation of music, not the thievery of it.
I don't think that downloading is stealing, it's clearly accessible so why not use it? I do agree that it's the same idea as movies. I do not pay the director or the actors in the movie everytime I rent a movie (at the library or at Blockbuster, etc). "Some file sharing is undoubtedly a violation of copyright law, it does not amount to theft. Theft is a malignant activity that denies the original owner of a property's function. It's not stealing, it's sharing" (http://media.www.reflector-online.com/media/storage/paper938/news/2003/10/07/Opinion/Downloading.Is.Not.Stealing-2537356.shtml).
ReplyDeleteLet's take China for instance: it's legal fo them to download music from Google. It's absolutely no big deal. So are they stealing? Or are they sharing?
I don't think that this has anything to do with plagiarism. I think it has everything to do with money. These artists desire the money that they're talent produced and that they pay for through copyrights to their song. The artists make enough money to keep producing the song, it's not like we are taking millions and billions of dollars away from them.
Personally, I do not believe it's stealing but it's sharing, it's listening, it's using, it's borrowing. The artists just want their money and they do this by suing people (who downloaded music) for trillions of dollars. As if they don't already have enough money.
I feel that if downloading music was stealing it would have been stopped a long time ago. So many people use resources such a limewire to download their music for free; if it was a form of stealing there would be more of an effort by people in power to stop it. While celebrities may lose money when music is downloaded do they really need more? They still make a lot of money from record companies, CD sales, concerts, merchandise, etc. I agree with Chris when he describes the copyright laws. They protect the music from being portrayed as someone else’s work, but they do not say sharing the music is illegal.
ReplyDeleteI download all my music. I feel that buying whole CDs for one song is just a waste of money and sites like iTunes are too expensive. Downloading music allows me to have more access to new and different types of music. My iPod is filled with songs downloaded from limewire and I couldn’t be happier with it. I don’t feel like a thief every time I listen to my music.
I never really thought of downloading music as the equivalent to renting a movie. It makes sense. I also agree with what others have said, if downloading was "such" an illegal act it would have been stopped by now. I understand that if you download music and then reproduce it and sell it to others that is wrong. Additionally, you can go online to youtube or enter a search into google and you are able to listen to whatever song you want. The only difference between this and downloading is that the songs aren't saved to you computer.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting perspective on downloading music. I always have honestly been on middle ground about this topic. I thought that to a certain extent it was stealing. I believed this because someone worked to produce a product, thus I thought they should get paid. However, I thought it wasn't stealing because you aren't selling the music for profit. You are just the listener. After reading Chris' perspective I concluded that I lean more towards downloading music as not stealing. After all, music artists still get paid no matter what. One can publishing houses? They publish plenty of books and are still in business despite the existence of libraries.
ReplyDeleteI have probably been downloading music for about two or three years now. I have always been kind of in between on this subject as well. One of my friends brother's was actually in some form of trouble for downloading music illegally. However, I just download it to listen to it. To be honest, I can not tell you the last time I burned a CD and physically gave someone my music. And my limewire "account" uses shared files, however I do not share my own files. I think Chris makes a great point about movie stores and libraries. Technically, using limewire or another file sharing program is the same as going and checking our your favorite book at the library. Or what about if I buy a movie and then let my friends watch it. My friends did not buy the movie but they are still benefiting. I think if people use limewire or other file sharing sites for the wrong reasons then it becomes a problem. However, if its to listen to that favorite song in an instant, I think it is a very good idea.
ReplyDeleteI have always downloaded my music from limewire but now I feel better about doing so. I think it is a great point that you make when you say it is a lot like renting movies from the library. The companies that sell the movie are losing money...no one is profiting from it being rented out. This makes it a lot like downloading. It really is just being shared. Artists still get plenty of money and in my opinion downloading is helpful in some ways because then they get more exposure. If people enjoy their songs that much they might just go get their album or buy tickets to their concert. I really don't think downloading is such a crime. Besides celebrities these days are making their money in other ways like advertisement, touring and other things. Why should we have to pay a dollar for every song when it is so accessible and free!
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting perspective on downloading music "illegally." Sometimes, I think it is beneficial to certain artists to have their music so readily available at no cost to their potential listener. I know that when I hear about a good band, or want to listen to an artist that a friend really enjoys, I don't want to spend money before I even know if I will enjoy the music. It's good for small scale artists to get their music heard.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, bands and singers make music for a LIVING. Sometimes it is hard to remmeber that their music is their product and the sale of it is what they live off of. Personally, I like to support bands that I love by buying their albums--Especially if they are little known and should be given the means to make it to the top.
If I was an artist I would want everyone to be able to hear my music no matter what means they use to obtain it. ( Legal or illegal downloading). However, if someone were to say they enjoyed my music and wanted me to keep writing songs, I would hope that they would be supporting me to do so by showing I am worth the dollar or so they would have to pay to hear my song.
I do not beleive that downloading music is stealing. I think of it as if my friend has a CD and I make a copy of it, it is ultimately the same thing.
ReplyDeleteThink of it this way, radio stations can play a certain song as many times as they want, and they do not have to pay for each time it is played. Same thing with youtube. Many times I search for a song on there. Should I be charged each time I listen to a song?
Music is produced so that people can listen to it. Between concerts, cds ect. artists make enough money. Are they really losing that much by file sharing?
Downloading music has become a big issue with musical artists. I have heard of these extreme cases where individuals have been caught downloading music and were sued for thousands of dollars. This is crazy. It has always been the deterrent for my using limewire or anything else. I’m so afraid that might happen to me. But do they honestly think the punishment fits the crime? One song that is worth only $0.99 can amount to thousands of dollars if downloaded and caught. Some rapists and robbers don’t have to pay anything, and to be honest I’d rather go to jail for a few months.
ReplyDeleteIt all originates from greed. Musical artists claim it’s a violation, that they have a right to their music- and they still do. If no one is reproducing and distributing it, than I do not see the crime. Musical artists always want to portray an image of doing what they love, by singing and having people appreciate that music. Aren’t these downloaders doing just that? We love and want to listen to their songs, so we download them instead of paying fees. We appreciate the music, we just don’t appreciate the cost. If musical artists were so concerned, I think they would work to reduce the price of their music so it is more affordable to their fans. If everyone weren’t so greedy (music artists, labels, stores) than this problem would be solved.
Downloading music is not like renting a movie at all. When you rent a movie there is usually a fee, but if there isn't and it's from a library or something, then the library must have at one point bought the movie. So therefore, the 2 or not close. When you take something that costs money in a store and download it without paying a cent, it's stealing.
ReplyDeleteI think if it was so illegal to steal music, most of us would be in a lot of trouble. Why pay for a song when you can get it for free? Most artists are so rich anyway and don't need the couple cents they are making off of internet songs. I kind of agree with perror too because downloading songs is nothing like renting a movie. When renting a movie, you don't even keep it like with songs. I guess it is stealing but if no one does anything about it to try and stop it then it will continue to happen.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm one of the few in here that completely disagrees with the opening post.
ReplyDeleteDownloading copyrighted/unauthorized music for free is very much the equivalent of stealing, specifically piracy. You're getting something for free that is supposed to cost money, ie it is definably stealing.
Libraries aren't free (since taxpayers fund them) and are based around the principles of lending (not permanently taking) books, so to compare the two ideas is illogical.
As much as I hate to say it, I think most arguments against the idea that it's stealing are attempts at justification- to ease our consciences. Deep down I think we all know about the morality of downloading these songs for free.
I can't blame anyone for thinking that way. There are hardly any immediate punishments for all of this downloading, so there's no kind of negative reinforcement. I myself have downloaded countless songs illegally, and giving that up is not an easy thing.
Whether artists are greedy or not, it doesn't dismiss the fact that, yes, by downloading these songs for free, you're diminishing a profit which was earned.
These repercussions, unfortunately, have blown illegal downloading out of control, and now governments are taking action, such as with the absurd Digital Economy Bill in the UK.
We've abused our privileges, and now we may even have our rights taken away.
I have always been too nervous to download music and/or videos illegally from the internet! I'm always afraid my computer's going to get a bug or something bad is going to happen after I download the program! So many people download music illegally today, it seems as if the scare of doing it that was there before, now no longer exists as strong. I guess downloading music without paying for it can be considered illegal and 'stealing', but let's face it; when we go to our friends' computer and copy songs for our own IPODS, we don't consider ourselves 'stealing'!
ReplyDeleteIs stealing right? No it's not. Is downloading music illegally stealing? No. It's not like you're taking someone's ideas and using them as your own. You're just listening. Personally, I spend money on an ipod; I think the songs should be free too. And look at the people we're stealing from (if you want to even call it that); greedy millionaires who are no longer out for the love of music, but for the lust of money. They get paid plenty by radio stations, record companies, and music-selling websites. I don't think they are taking a huge financial hit every time someone downloads a song.
ReplyDeleteI can see both sides of this argument. Artists produce music to make money, and do not want there music being downloaded for free, whether or not you disagree with the amount they are paid, it's still a job. Music costs money everywhere. Radio stations have to pay to play their songs, movie producers have to pay to use songs in their movies, people have to buy CD's, etc. Therefor, if you have to pay for it and you download it for free, technically, you're stealing; and in an argument over the statements about how what's a few cents for a song to them? Well with the amount of people that illegally download music in the world those few cents turn into a great amount of money.
ReplyDeleteBut, no matter if it is stealing or not, it is unpreventable. Even if they did some how find a way to stop illegal downloads, people are still going to share music. I also believe that people are getting a little to crazy with trying to find people downloading music illegally; honestly, there are way more important things in life that need to be taken care of.