There seems to be a lot of issues with songs downloaded via the internet. And I guess there’s valid points to both sides. The extremes… those that have worked hard, have something to sell, and want their money for their efforts… and those that want something for nothing, and want it for free. But what about the middle ground that’s still technically illegal but may seem morally righteous or not so bad? So what’s the middle ground? … Well, I’ll define it as I see it. Ya see… I bought and paid for the songs on old 33 1/3’s, and then the 45’s, and then again on the LP’s… then still again on the 8 tracks… than again on the cassettes… and then still again on the Cd’s. And now their out on MP3’s. So how many times have I already paid for a song? How many times have you already paid for a song? So there in lies the moral decision. Did I previously pay for the song or the package it came on? Obliviously… the song, and not the 50 cent package it came on. So how many times do I feel the need to pay for the same thing over and over again? Maybe I draw the line at… lets see… 6 times. So is a free Mps download of that song moral… or not? I guess that’s a personal decision for yourself, but it will always remain illegal. So was using VHS to record movies or Tv shows, or using DVR’s to do the same… but we have all done it. If you do it for personal use only, you may consider it morally okay… and I can see that if you try to copy and sell them for financial gain… well… you should be in trouble and prosecuted. But for personal use… have a bit of common sense… illegal – yes! … immoral – you decide.
Some other considerations. In today’s tight economy, it’s nice to be able to listen to and / or download a trial version of a new song to see if you like it… then decide if you want to purchase it… this is a great feature. It’s also nice to be able to buy single songs, and not entire albums to get that one song. It’s also especially nice to get old songs or less favorite songs that are no longer available to buy anywhere… not even from “time life” (lol). There’s lots of great songs out there that if not for the internet and sharing… well… they would be lost in time forever. Songs that our parents once listened too… songs we heard as kids. Songs from others countries and cultures that can not be purchased here or anyplace else.
So who’s really getting hurt with technically illegal downloads? Well… just like everything else in this world… it’s all black & white, cut & dry, and there will always be the two extremes. The one’s that have something to sell, and the one’s that want something for nothing. Illegal or moral with no middle ground. So where do we all fall? Most of us far in the middle ground somewhere. Already paid for those songs 3,4,5,or 6 times already… so what’s the harm in a free MP3 download for personal use? It’s a personal decision… at least morally. You’ll still get hung out to dry legally… even if only for personal use… no middle ground. Some things just don’t make any sense. Perhaps a good question might be… If I could not get the song for free… would I have paid for it? If the answer is “yes”… then maybe there’s a moral question there. If the answer is “no”, I would not have bought it, so no one would have made any money on it anyway… then what would the record companies have loss? Certainly nothing it you were not going to buy it any way. So perhaps there’s another bit of moral justification. I’m sure lots of people, especially now days, fall into this category… they would not have been able to purchase those songs due to financial considerations or lack there of, so no matter what, they would not have spent their vital resources to buy the songs… no one would have made money from a song that would have never been bought from that person anyway. Kinda “no harm no foul”… morally. But then again… a personal decision.
But then again… very few things in this world combine legality and morality in the same package. The two usually never meet and are usually at the extremes… and usually with no middle ground… there’s never middle ground when it comes to any legal question. But not much comfort for that woman that “illegality” downloaded … 23 songs(?) to her computer ( presumably for personal use ), got taken to court and loss the case and was fined $80,000 per download. It’s all about perception… the record companies want to make an example of someone ( a poor one if she did it only for personal use ), or maybe she was just looking for a roof over her head, three meals a day, and free medical care, that she couldn’t afford in the real world.
Just another thought on just another day.
Think I’ll play it save and just listen to the radio!
But if things get worse, given this countries obsession with big business greed… a roof over my head, three meals a day, free medical, free cable, free internet, free utilities, and a free education… it all might not be so bad. Give up your freedom in exchange for everything free that some working people can’t afford. But then again… maybe that’s what’s wrong with the system. The real criminals have no fear of jail with all they get for free! But that’s another story!
