File sharing. This is accepted by both the nerd and youth community. For nerds, file sharing isn’t just about sharing music and movies but also sharing open source software quickly and easily by the use of torrents. Nonetheless, illegal file sharing does happen and it is accepted by many throughout the respective communities.
Because of illegal file sharing, torrents are frowned upon by the general public. Torrent sites have been shut down, sued, and even raided by the FBI. Even with this happening, the sites continue to strive and will not disappear overnight.
Should file sharing be illegal?
No. Definitely not. Sharing files is the Internet. Whether you are sharing music, software, or even text you are sharing files. Whenever you visit a website, a file is downloaded onto your computer. Every time you chat on an instant messenger, text is being transferred across computers. Sharing files shouldn’t be illegal and doing so will push the country back into the 1980s in terms of telecommunication.
Should sharing copyrighted material be illegal?
In my opinion, yes. Artists deserve to get paid as do producers. The claim that buying a CD ‘doesn’t help the artist’ is bogus. The artist does get paid and in some instances as much as 75% of the total retail price. Selling t-shirts and concert tickets are only a small percentage of the overall cash flow an artist receives. If it weren’t for CD sales, many artists wouldn’t be able to support themselves. Remember, the household names are the top 1% in the industry. Smaller bands do not fill concert halls, sell t-shirts in convenient stores, or have posters of themselves plastered around Hot Topic.
The other claim: ‘I wouldn’t have bought it anyway’ is the most retarded thing someone can say regarding illegal downloads. Really? So you went through the time to search for the torrent, downloading it, and listening to it, yet you had no intention to ever buy it? Why the hell did you bother downloading it then? Turn on a radio if you wish to find music you like. There is even a pretty kick ass online radio station you can customize to your listening style.
Here’s another ridiculous claim: ‘It isn’t stealing because they still have the music. It is just duplicating’. Ah, I see. So the artist shouldn’t be paid because he creates art. I guess since cars are ‘duplicated’ it is OK to take one as well. Regardless of what you are thinking, it is the same. Music online is duplicated by using bandwidth, RAM, CPU, and harddrive space. Cars are duplicated by using metal, glass, and rubber. I guess since you can’t actually see the duplication process it is OK. It is kind of like circumcision. It is alright as long as you don’t watch it happen.
As for movies, they are expensive to create. If every person decided to download the movie illegally instead of going to theaters then the movie wouldn’t have been created in the first place. Yes, most films aren’t recorded for home viewing. Actually, the ratio used in theaters is 20% wider. Nonetheless, it happens. And no, the Watchmen isn’t an argument against illegal downloads. You nor I have any clue how many people would have went to the theater if it wasn’t leaked.
If you want to watch movies online, go to YouTube. Because the crap that people put on there is exactly what you would be reduced to watching if it weren’t for Hollywood.
I feel the same way about books, photographs, newspapers, logos, and anything else which can be stolen. Writers are paid to write. Photographers are paid to photograph and designers are paid to design. Once you take the income from them, they can no longer do their job 8-hours a day. Many of the greatest stories over the past hundred years wouldn’t have been written and many of the wonderful photographs wouldn’t have been taken.
And no, the RIAA and MPAA are not ’stealing from the poor’ when they sue. The poor could care less what new song just became #1 on the charts or what movie just hit theaters. They are too busy worrying about how to pay their next water bill and how to put food on the table (if they even have one).
We have become too acclimated to doing what is easy instead of doing what is right. Drive the speed limit? No! I have to get to my destination quicker. Recycle old newspapers? No! I don’t have time. Cook a meal at home? No! I will just pick something up.
America, we are too lazy for our own good. We care too much about ourselves and not enough about our neighbors and those who created our culture. Hollywood is as American as you can get and has, along with music, spread our culture to every corner of the Earth. And how do we repay them? By stealing their property.
What are your views on file sharing?
Written: Jul 1, 2009
Chinaren
August 6, 2009 @ 11:29 pm
I tend to agree with you, though I do think the record companies have not helped themselves by refusing to explore new ways of selling online.
Like newspapers they’ve tried to market using old methods in a new economy. Whilst I can’t condone illegal file sharing, the Movie ASS. of America and similar have long had the power to reduce it, but have constantly failed.
I liken them to General Motors management, and look what happened to them.