Illegal_Downloads_and_Who_Does_It_Hurt

The subject of illegal downloads is something that will be discussed for many years to come. It seems that there are several different sides and issues to the subject of illegal downloads. When it comes to the illegal downloading of music, both the artists and the consumers have varying opinions. Some artists have been very vocal against illegal downloads and file sharing while others have used file sharing sites to promote a new album or to introduce a new artist. Consumers seem to lean more towards being in favor of free downloads since there are reportedly billions of illegally downloaded songs. No matter which side you support, until the law is changed, it is illegal to download music without paying for it. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has taken a very aggressive legal stand against what it feels is “piracy” of music because it is taking money away from not only the artists but, everyone involved with the making of an album. This includes the writers, producers, musicians, singers, and the record labels. Lawsuits against file sharing websites like Limewire, Kazaa, and others have instrumental in helping to offset the loss of revenue from the decline in sales of CDs, which it attributes to illegal downloading. The reduction in sales of CDs has also affected the music stores that were once the only means of obtaining new music. The RIAA has not only pursued legal action against file sharing websites but also from consumers. Generally, those legal actions are reserved for those dealing in larger numbers of files shared but, it does not exclude the casual downloader either. With new legislation being considered and laws being passed all the time, anyone participating in the illegal trafficking of pirated music can and will face prosecution. While the forms of music have changed over the years from vinyl to 8-track, to cassette, to finally CDs and downloadable mp3s, consumers have had to repurchase music to keep up with the changing times. This is potentially one reason people are turning to file sharing sites to be able to update their music library. While still illegal, for many people this would seem a logical step to update their older mediums without paying for the same music more than once. Perhaps this is something the music industry has not considered. Is it really piracy if someone owns a vinyl album but downloads the mp3s of that album from a file sharing site' Many consumers would say no but, according to the RIAA this would constitute as illegal downloading. Some artists have used file sharing sites or their own websites to introduce themselves as a new artist or to promote a new album. By allowing people to download specific tracks from an album, they can give people an opportunity to listen and evaluate their music and, maybe, gain a larger fan base. This can lead to increased ticket sales for concerts, merchandise, and increased sales of an album. If someone truly likes an artist or group, they would generally purchase their music from an authorized website or store. There are several websites that are promoted as being authorized dealers like, iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, Amazon, and others. All of which you can buy whole albums or individual songs for a minimal price. A complete list is provided at www.musicunited.org under the legal sites link. After trying to consider all sides of the issue, there needs to be some legal downloads for users who had previously purchased music before in an older format or some way to update those older forms. Other than that, downloading music without the artist’s consent should, and probably will, remain illegal. This debate will rage on for many more years to come. New legislation set to be voted on by the House of Representatives called Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Senate bill called Protect IP Act (PIPA) were drafted to fight against trafficking in copyrighted material. Many see this as the first step towards a violation of the First Amendment and censorship of the web. This type of legislation has been compared to China’s Great Firewall, which was a way for China’s government to censor the Internet and limit what the population can access. While it is clear that some new legislation is needed to combat the misuse of copyrighted material, new laws cannot supersede the Constitutional rights of Americans. Technology allows for a greater experience in many facets of life but, those improvements come with a price. While we need to protect the rights of artists and ensure the revenue due to everyone involved in the making of new music (and older music), we also need to protect citizens from potential censorship and Constitutional violations. There is an achievable balance for all concerned if both sides can see from the other’s perspective.