Comments on: Should file-sharing be legal?

By: anbu_assassin

anbu_assassin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:01:53 +0000

i agree but it forces people to be a hypocrites. downloading free music is so easy to do and u cant really get caught for it..then theres the fact that u saved some money while the downloaded songs came from people rolling in money already. the lack of enforcement on it just makes it seem like something that is frowned upon, and actually paying 99 cents for the song on itunes seems like donating a smidge of money to an artist according to the way its divided up. i dont know anyone that acually pays for the music on their ipod. the government really needs to step their game up on this subject so there is acually a fear of downloading free music..

By: Liberaltarian91

Liberaltarian91 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:22:03 +0000

The difference is that the music wasn't stolen and the friend wouldn't get to keep it after returning it.

Stealing copyrighted music online is no different from walking into a CD store and stealing a CD.

By: David Gecko

David Gecko — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:41:50 +0000

I agree with you on that one. It's ridiculous the fine. I'd lower it down a bit to make it more affordable. Who cares if you download a few songs?

By: Zack

Zack — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:42:48 +0000

I don't think it should be legal, but I wouldn't call it stealing and I wouldn't put people in debt for downloading some songs.

By: Doogie

Doogie — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:07:35 +0000

Jared, you are making the mistake of labeling only those singer/songwriters who happen to become household names and have platinum albums, musicians. Musicians are hardworking persons – from those who sell millions to those with Thursday night gigs at a local coffee shop – they work hard.

By: Jared

Jared — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:09:01 +0000

You call musicians hardworking persons? Hardworking persons are those who work hard for a modest pay, not millions of dollars. These musicians have to suck it up and instead of getting five million a song, they are now getting three.

By: Weer'd Beard

Weer'd Beard — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:15:22 +0000

Technically you're distributing copywrited materiel freely. Copywrite only allows the paying user to own/copy the file. To transfer or distribute the file across a network without the payment for ownership is a crime.

Now like many crimes it's impossible to police and rampant, but if asking if it's illegal…well that's a simple question.

By: papadawg

papadawg — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:10:00 +0000

A songwriter writes a song and the record company pays the songwriter to have a particular singer record and release it.

When that CD is sold, part of the money goes to the record company, the accompanying musicians, the singer, and the songwriter.

When you pay the record company's website to download that song, the same distribution happens each time it is downloaded.

When you send or give that song to someone else, then those who worked on that song are cheated out of what is their rightful compensation for their hard work.

A thief in any other clothing is still a thief.

Incidentally, since I have a nephew that is a musician, it takes a lifetime of training and practice – plus a real good wave of luck – to make even a meager living in the entertainment industry. Why would anyone want to steal from any hardworking person?

By: Zack

Zack — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:23:29 +0000

So what. You are sharing, not stealing.

By: Sal

Sal — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:29:44 +0000

I agree with you there, it does depend on the file.