Why should we be able to illegally download music??

[socialize_me]

I'm learning about intellectual property on my own to prepare for the pro-intellectual property arguments in my law class (my professor even suggested perpetual patents...considering that's unconstitutional, I find it interesting that a law professor would suggest such a thing not that it'd be the first time), and was wondering if there were good arguments on why downloading music illegally is not unethical/immoral/or whatever else would make it be a "bad" thing.

How isn't it theft? I know one person had to buy the music somewhere along the lines, but to distribute it to potentially thousands of people when the record company only received the $10 for the original purchase, why or how isn't it stealing??

 

[trey4sports]

I'm learning about intellectual property on my own to prepare for the pro-intellectual property arguments in my law class (my professor even suggested perpetual patents...considering that's unconstitutional, I find it interesting that a law professor would suggest such a thing not that it'd be the first time), and was wondering if there were good arguments on why downloading music illegally is not unethical/immoral/or whatever else would make it be a "bad" thing.

How isn't it theft? I know one person had to buy the music somewhere along the lines, but to distribute it to potentially thousands of people when the record company only received the $10 for the original purchase, why or how isn't it stealing??

sorry, but that is theft

 

[dannno]

sorry, but that is theft

What, exactly, are you stealing?

Lost sales is not stealing. I had absolutely no intention of buying that CD I just downloaded. I downloaded it because it was there. Nobody lost a cent. Nobody is worse off. And now I am listening to and appreciating the artist's music. If they ever come to town, I will go to their show. Now the band has just profited 100 fold off this transaction of so-called "theft", I think the music industry is in fact stealing from the artists by being over protective of their work.


Sorry OP, I have no logical arguments for you. Downloading music is not theft. If I were putting out a CD, I would encourage people to make copies. I have known many bands who encourage people to make copies of their music so that they become more widely known and appreciated. This will get them bigger venues and larger revenues than anything they would get from sales of CDs.

 

[qh4dotcom]

What, exactly, are you stealing?

Lost sales is not stealing. I had absolutely no intention of buying that CD I just downloaded. I downloaded it because it was there. Nobody lost a cent. Nobody is worse off. And now I am listening to and appreciating the artist's music. If they ever come to town, I will go to their show. Now the band has just profited 100 fold off this transaction of so-called "theft", I think the music industry is in fact stealing from the artists by being over protective of their work.


Sorry OP, I have no logical arguments for you. Downloading music is not theft. If I were putting out a CD, I would encourage people to make copies. I have known many bands who encourage people to make copies of their music so that they become more widely known and appreciated. This will get them bigger venues and larger revenues than anything they would get from sales of CDs.

I agree...and don't forget that you can tell your friends about this music you are listening to...they might decide to buy the CD based on your recommendation

 

[dannno]

Now, if I were to open up the doors in a theater and play somebody else's music and charge for it, you have an argument.

If I make copies of a popular CD and go out and sell it for a profit, you at least have a debate.

Downloading music for free? Sorry, there is no debate. You're probably going to lose.

 

[PatriotLegion]

Yes some bands are releasing there new CDs on there website for free and hoping on making money on tours. A lot of artists are now seeing this and they have to understand that this will and is happening.
Also whats the difference of recording/copy music from Satellite/internet radio at CD quality and use it?

 

[heavenlyboy34]

On principle, downloading music shouldn't be free-this is bypassing the market price that the artist has placed on it. However, the copyright "system" is so over-complicated and unfair that it screws both creators and consumers.

 

[ClayTrainor]

It's sad that the music industry has become all about the $$$ nowadays.

I think the objective of artists should be to spread their content as far and wide as possible, not capitalize on consumers.

If i had a song of mine spread to over 1 million people, and i didn't make a single cent, i'd still be very happy.

There are plenty of ways to make money in the music industry still, for sure, but the market is shifting. ITunes is playing their cards right, but they still have problems. i'd personally buy ALOT more Mp3's from itunes if they would just get rid of the restrictions.

As of right now you can't burn "mp3" cds with itunes music, nor can you use itunes downloads in video editing projects.

If i pay for my music, i should be allowed to spread it and play it wherever the hell i want. I download "illegal' content, because that is where the real "supply" is for my "demand". No restrictions on my files please!

The market will adapt, and some old businesses will die. They are trying to win lawsuits by claiming that "downloading music is illegal"

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

lots of people download to check out bands or sample - this leads to some sales where the person wouldn't have bought the CD or other CD's by that band.

some groups don't want anything to do with record companies - so they distribute their music via MySpace or on P2P nets. If you like it order the whole CD type of thing. It's a different business model. The record company model picks who is going to be big (promoted) and who isn't. The artists don't make much off of each sale (via BigMusic) but the company does and they are the ones that care about intellectual property. Fortunately, you don't need a record company any more to press a CD and the Internet has taken the place radio to promote more bands.

So how is it theft if the bands WANT you to download their music?

Even under the old model a lot of bands encouraged people to download their music - they wanted to be listened to and to have fans. The money wasn't their driving force.

-t

 

[rpfan2008]

I agree...and don't forget that you can tell your friends about this music you are listening to...they might decide to buy the CD based on your recommendation

Disagree.

I believe if you bought someone else' creation you have the right to distribute it as a commodity (without the consent of the creator), ie. if you give it to someone and deleted your own copy. But I don't think 'republishing' or sending out copies(multiplying the original copy you bought) of the product is an ethical way of handling it.

 

[jkr]

because radio sux?

 

[hillertexas]

 

[dannno]

Disagree.

I believe if you bought someone else' creation you have the right to distribute it as a commodity (without the consent of the creator), ie. if you give it to someone and deleted your own copy. But I don't think 'republishing' or sending out copies(multiplying it) of the product is an ethical way of handling it.

I think he's saying that even though I download the music for free, I can then potentially convert my friends into liking the band, which may lead to album sales and/or bigger venues, bigger concerts.

When you're a band it's all about getting the word out. Since the music industry makes this decision for the vast majority of popular music through promotion, I hate the music industry. It is like centralized economic planning with music. Letting people download any music they want and listen to unlimited amounts of music, assuming they own the technology to access it, allows for a more free market model and better music inevitably becomes more popular.

 

[ClayTrainor]

because radio sux?

Radio is a great example.

They spread music for free, much like p2p does, except Radio comes with advertisements which enables them to stay in business and continue promoting bands.

You can record music off the radio, and spread it around, no one tends to have a problem with that. If you download high quality music off the internet, and spread it around, people tend to have a problem.

I can think of numerous bands that i found by downloading their music "illegally" and/or hearing them on the radio. I go on to buying their cds, tshirts, going to their concerts etc.


The business model of the music industry needs to change, not the law!

 

[dannno]

because radio sux?

Yep, that's due to the whole mainstream music promotional stuff I was talking about in my last post. Radio is essentially centralized music planning by the record companies.

 

[SnappleLlama]

Yep, that's due to the whole mainstream music promotional stuff I was talking about in my last post. Radio is essentially centralized music planning by the record companies.

No wonder it gives me a headache

 

[ClayTrainor]

Yep, that's due to the whole mainstream music promotional stuff I was talking about in my last post. Radio is essentially centralized music planning by the record companies.

Theres plenty of good radio stations, imo (in my area, anyways).

Especially online radio stations.

The free market has a way of providing content that the consumers want

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Radio is a great example.

They spread music for free, much like p2p does, except Radio comes with advertisements which enables them to stay in business and continue promoting bands.

You can record music off the radio, and spread it around, no one tends to have a problem with that. If you download high quality music off the internet, and spread it around, people tend to have a problem.

I can think of numerous bands that i found by downloading their music illegally. I go on to buying their cds, tshirts, going to their concerts etc.


The business model of the music industry needs to change, not the law!

Not exactly true. To this day, radio stations and producers of recordable mediums pay into a fund that pays royalties to artists. You're right that the model sux, tho-it's made for the 1950s.

 

[rpfan2008]

I think he's saying that even though I download the music for free, I can then potentially convert my friends into liking the band, which may lead to album sales and/or bigger venues, bigger concerts.

When you're a band it's all about getting the word out. Since the music industry makes this decision for the vast majority of popular music through promotion, I hate the music industry. It is like centralized economic planning with music. Letting people download any music they want and listen to unlimited amounts of music, assuming they own the technology to access it, allows for a more free market model and better music inevitably becomes more popular.

I got the point, but still if the band thinks they don't want their creation get pirated even if that means losing public exposure, then do you think it's a good practice to force that favor on them?

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Yep, that's due to the whole mainstream music promotional stuff I was talking about in my last post. Radio is essentially centralized music planning by the record companies.

qft!