The
topic of online piracy is something that most people in our generation are
fairly familiar with. The irony is that many people aren’t aware that
downloading free music from the Internet is actually illegal. The term piracy is used to refer to the act of
illegally downloading/sharing music on the Internet. Sure- it’s highly
convenient for us to convert a YouTube video into an MP3 code (for no charge at
all) and upload onto our iPods and iPhones. But what about the impact on the
other side? Inevitably, the phenomenon of illegally downloading music makes
things not so “free” for the recording artists and their record companies.
Today,
it is extremely easy to find your favorite songs, even full albums, and
download them at no cost. Most people don’t realize the impact that downloading
“just that one” song makes. Piracy is difficult to control, as it’s done
quickly and within the comfort of one’s own home. Although sites such as iTunes
make it almost mindlessly easy to search for and purchase your desired music,
it lacks one important characteristic that many people are looking for… the
songs are not free. On average, iTunes charges around $1.29 per song. This
increase in price is, in part, an effort to make up for the suspected millions
of dollars in revenue lost to piracy.
It
is important to educate people and make them fully aware of the negative
impacts (and consequences) of illegally downloading music. I’m willing to bet
that many people aren’t even aware that it’s actually illegal. After all, it is
theft. Every time you download a song
without paying, you’re essentially “robbing” the artist of $1.29. Multiply that
by hundreds of songs and the millions of people that participate in online
piracy, and it’s no wonder companies like iTunes are forced to raise their
prices. Piracy is a current, ongoing issue with very little reprimand. There
may be no exact answer to the problem, but there are ways to inform/educate
people and make them aware of what exactly they’re doing when they download
just that one song for “free”.
Work Cited
Chmielewski,
Dawn. Hottest tracks to cost $1.29 at
ITunes starting April 7. Los Angeles Times, 26 March, 2009. Web. 2
September, 2013. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/26/business/fi-cotown-itunes26
The Recording Industry Association of America sites. What Is Online Piracy? RIAA, 2013. Web. 2 September, 2013. http://www.riaa.com/physicalpiracy.php?content_selector=What-is-Online-Piracy
I wasn't aware that itunes had increased the price per download mainly due to piracy. I think is completely correct what the article states. Every time one person converts a YouTube video to mp3 format is theft. Also, it's true that you can find entire albums online that can be downloaded "for free", and that makes piracy a vicious cycle difficult to control.
ReplyDeleteI think the real issue is that piracy has become so common that the average internet user doesn't frown upon piracy. Not to mention the lack of consequences does nothing to discourage it.
ReplyDeleteI do agree Eric it is a shame that it has become so common and I'm glad you brought up the point about consequences because I just posted about that in blog# 2. While the consequences are actually very hefty it is hard to prove which is why no one takes it very seriously. After doing my research and discovering the consequences though I do know I'd never want to be in the situation, paying $1.29 sounds a lot better than thousands and fine so for me personally it's not worth the risk.
ReplyDeletePart of the problem I also think is that fact that a lot of users may not even be aware of what "piracy" actually is. I'm willing to bet a lot of people figure if they're able to convert the song from YouTube to an MP3 code, it's not exactly stealing...only it is.
ReplyDeleteI think more anti-Piracy campaigns could really make a difference, or at least inform/educate people what is legal/illegal when it comes to online media.