Download From Napster and Burn In Hell!!
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A lot has been said over the Napster controversy and free downloads in general. Actually, by the time you're reading this, Napster may now be a pay site or may not be around at all, but there are still plenty of sites where free downloads of music, movies, etc. are still available. I thought I'd add my own two cents to this hot topic, and judging from the title of this little essay, you may already think you know where I stand. Well actually, it's an issue that is more complicated than most people realize. Do I think it's wrong? In certain cases, absolutely. Here's the deal. There's tons of stuff on the Internet up for grabs, whether it was placed there specifically to be grabbed or if it's just in a place where people can grab it. Everyone, including myself, has at some point downloaded some sort of file for their own personal use, be it a graphics, sound or utility file. For example, if I download a WAV file of Homer Simpson saying, "Doh!", is it wrong? To some extent, yes. I'm sure I'm violating some sort of copyright law by doing this. Is it stealing? Well, that depends on what your definition of stealing is. I've downloaded dozens of WAV files for my own personal use and think nothing of it. Again, from a copyright standpoint this is probably wrong. So what's the big deal if you download the latest Eminem single, you say? Well, the problem with that is that Eminem, or whatever artist whose single you are downloading, is expecting you to purchase that single. Whether it is the latest CD, movie or software program, if a company or individual has made a product commercially available with the intended purpose for consumers to pay for that product, obtaining it by any means without paying for it is wrong. "Well gee," you may say, "what's the harm if I download the latest Metallica or Michael Jackson CD? They certainly don't need the money?" That's not the point. Big name artists probably won't be hurt financially by your download, but it is not yours to download. It belongs to the artist, the record company or whoever. It is a product that someone expects you to pay for. These things also cost money to make, and for music artists just starting out, downloading files could make or break them. A new act could be sensational, but their record company may be hesitant to invest additional money in them, waiting to see how sales of the first album go. It's possible because of downloads, sales of the CD will be disappointing and the record company will refuse to shell out the cash to support a tour or a second album. Think this doesn't happen? Hollywood is also on edge. The latest trend is to download pirated movies from the Internet, despite poor to fair picture quality and lengthy download times. The concern among Hollywood executives is that fewer people will see their movies resulting in less revenue. There is already talk about cutting back on the number of big, expensive, special-effects-filled epics, for fear that they will not sell enough tickets to recoup their cost. Think it's not happening? If there's one thing that bothers me most about this whole thing, it's the non-chalant attitude of the people who are doing it. Ask most downloaders, and they'll tell you that there is nothing wrong with it. It's perfectly alright. Why should anyone be forced to pay for high, overpriced merchandise when you can get it for free? Some even feel it's a way to get back at the big companies for charging such outrageous prices. To me, this is just a way for people to justify that what they are doing is okay, and personally I think they're just a bunch of cheapskates. No matter how you look at though, it is still wrong. Morality doesn't seem to enter the picture here either. How could it though, if downloading is seen by many as being perfectly okay? Well, the next time you're in Tower Records, why not pick up the latest Ricky Martin CD and just walk out the door with it? "But that's stealing!", you say. Well what difference is there between taking a CD from a store without paying for it or downloading it for free? "Oh that's different", you argue. Well, how is it different? Sure a downloaded music file isn't tangible, but in both cases you still end up with what you were after - the music. And in both cases you didn't pay for it. I personally don't see the difference between the two which is why I think it's wrong, and it just drives me crazy that other people can't, won't, or refuse to understand this. As I mentioned before, I myself have download dozens of files from the Internet, but at no time have I knowingly downloaded something that I could have purchased from a retailer. I know that if I myself had a CD or some other product in stores, I wouldn't want people downloading it for free. I'm sure you'd feel the same way too. I know that there are lots of people who will disagree with me, and I don't really expect to change people's minds. My intent is just to express my views on the subject. If anything, hopefully it will make people think a little bit before they download that next Eminem song. Please feel free to post your own comments and views to the message board!
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