Downloading Music

[thatpfunk]

[jstnrgrs]

Downloading music is often perfectly legal.

[pshreck]

[ QUOTE ]
Downloading music is often perfectly legal.

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I think he is talking about music that people actually want to listen to.

[JaBlue]

You need to add the option "I buy from artists that need my money but download CDs from mainstream sons of bitches"

[thatpfunk]

Doesn't that fall into the harmless category then?

[spamuell]

is stealing but i don't care.

I don't think that's quite the same as harmless, I'm prepared to admit it's not harmless.

[fluxrad]

Ok. This needs to get cleared up early:

Downloading songs off the internet is copyright infringement, not "stealing"

This is not to say that it's not wrong or illegal, but rather that it's a different thing. As an example, if I steal a CD off the shelf the store is out however much money they spent. The important point is not that a sale has been lost, but that an actual product has been lost.

In contrast, with copyright infringement the only damage that has been done is the potential loss of a sale. If I download the new Madonna album she has not actually lost any money. No actual damages have occurred, however she has lost a potential sale (or not, in my case). Still, her original and every other copy of her album on the market are still in tact. Moreover, theft is a criminal charge while copyright infringement is a civil one.

This is why it is incorrect and rather dishonest to say that copyright infringement is "stealing." As I said, I'm not saying it is an acceptable practice nor have I really given my feelings on the matter. I just don't like seeing the above get confused as it's a tactic used explicitly (and seemingly very effectively) by the RIAA and MPAA to get people to equate infringement with guys in black masks coming to rob your house.

[thatpfunk]

ya, but all the wouldn't fit into my poll categories... [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Seriously though, interesting explanation.

[daveymck]

I cant vote, it does in some ways harm the artist but can also help them.

I generally download from Newsgroups and so in there get a lot of pre release stuff and also stuff fomr groups I have never heard of. Most gets deleted some I then buy and some gets on my MP3 player and if they tour I will go and see them and look out for their next album.

The fact is that the artists are screwed more by the recording industry than people who were not going to buy it anyway downloading it and listening. Once bands catch onto this and start releasing their stuff on the net themselves (getting a much higher profit from each sale) cutting out the middle man and retailer then the record industry will probably collapse as we know it. The major labels are starting to catch on that they can now sell stuff online but I wonder if they have reacted quickly enough to long term keep the industry as we know it.

There is a lot of HIfi equiptment in the pipeline (and some now) that is going to allow mp3's to be transferred form the pc onto hard disk and played via a stero, Cambridge Audio are doing one that has 160gig hard drive a cd player on and will if connected to a monitor search for the album cover and even the lyrics from the net. We will have the ability to pipe music round the house wirelessly via mp3. That side of the industry is going to see huge growth and will result in a reduction of CD sales but not to extintion.

I also think for new and unsigned bands mp3 and the net is the perfect way to promote themselves worldwide.

[turnipmonster]

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The fact is that the artists are screwed more by the recording industry


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people like to say this and it's irrelevant. I've been in several bands with label deals, and no one holds a gun to your head and makes you sign with a label. it's a contract that the artist negotiates with the label. the fact that you don't think it's a good deal for the artist is completely and totally irrelevant, as it's a contract that the artist willfully engages in.

arguing whether or not the artist gets screwed is like arguing whether or not your employer (if you have one) is screwing you. they might be, they might not be, but what business is it of anyone else?

btw I agree about the net being a great thing for artists, and the trend towards independent music in general. I think it's a good thing as well.
--turnipmonster