Downloading Music-Is it stealing? By Terry DiMascio
The information that RIAA provides on its website is clear and concise. For those unfamiliar with copyright laws, the site specifically states both the laws and penalties. I do think that many people unknowingly break the law and this site very clearly explains what is and isn’t legal. As an I-Pod, CD and general music enthusiast, I can say that most of the music on my I-Pod was bought directly from I-Tunes. It is a simple, reliable, and inexpensive way to download music. I think with the publicity surrounding the lawsuits against college students who download music illegally, an equally important issue is overlooked; the people involved with making the music.
Put yourself in the position of any artist; a singer, a songwriter a choreographer, a painter, a sculptor, a jewelry designer. These people have a talent, a talent that they have chosen to make into a career. Although in some cases the justification of how much money artists make, may be debatable and some people may feel that “they make enough money, and my little piracy is not going to affect them”, the fact remains that an artist’s talent has a value. To believe that you can copy either for yourself or to resale, the result of this talent, is stealing. The definition of stealing is taking something that does not belong to you, and artistic talent is a commodity that has a price. There are many legal ways to acquire music, just shop around for the best price and you will be paying an artist for their talent and creativity.
There is much talk about the control that the record industry has over the artists and the consumers. It seems to me that if a plan such as the EFF proposal could be implemented and agreed upon by artists and the recording industry all, including the consumer would benefit.
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Electronic Frontier Foundation
http://www.eff.org/wp/better-way-forward-voluntary-collective-licensing-music-file-sharing