Is illegal downloading justifiable? [ENDS 23/05/2010]

[Grig]

Is illegal downloading justifiable?

Ends: 23/05/2010

This has been a hotly debated issue, cropping up ever more commonly in recent years. For many of us in the world today, we view it as a great element that we don't have to pay a single dime for our music and can get thousands of songs from any artist in the world, with the quality and variety getting better and better each day. Figures show that only one in just twenty people actually go through the legal means to obtain their music.

However, there is an another side to this argument. Some view it as immoral and consider it as 'stealing', for example, would you steal a car? Then why steal music? Another more pressing argument is that from illegal downloads we will all be poorer in the end, as most of the profits from legal downloads and CD sales go to the record labels, which then can use those funds to continue to operate a business.

Only small measures have been implemented to combat against this. For example, some internet providers now lower bandwidth or cut the internet of completely. However, legislation is weak in many countries and most people get away with it. So, the question of this week's debate is whether illegal downloading of files, music, videos is justifiable?

[Sharon]

I see the reasons why this is majorly wrong. But you can't compare it to stealing a car, people shouldn't have to pay for SONGS, they should get them free

Why don't people take down Limewire etc. if they care so much.

[syko2006]

I see the reasons why this is majorly wrong. But you can't compare it to stealing a car, people shouldn't have to pay for SONGS, they should get them free

Why don't people take down Limewire etc. if they care so much.

Because programs like Limewire aren't illegal, they're P2P software that can be used for legitimate things.

I don't think illegal downloading is justifiable, I'm one of the very few that does actually pay for music. I pay for music so I can keep it on CD and use it in different places (car, stereo etc). I bet half of the people that download music also don't know that it's technically illegal to put music you've purchased on a CD onto an iPod/MP3 player.
But to summarise, no I don't think it's justifiable, just go out and buy the music. If you were to say to me ''well some of us can't afford it'' then I'd simply reply with, well then you'll have to wait untill you can afford it or use Spotify/Youtube.

[matt$]

I personally download music and console games all the time, mainly for these reasons, music artists make enough money doing gigs and i download flashed games due to the fact that i'd rather spend that money on clothes and other stuff although if its a decent game where the producers deserve the money i'll buy it.

[Richie]

Because programs like Limewire aren't illegal, they're P2P software that can be used for legitimate things.

I don't think illegal downloading is justifiable, I'm one of the very few that does actually pay for music. I pay for music so I can keep it on CD and use it in different places (car, stereo etc). I bet half of the people that download music also don't know that it's technically illegal to put music you've purchased on a CD onto an iPod/MP3 player.
But to summarise, no I don't think it's justifiable, just go out and buy the music. If you were to say to me ''well some of us can't afford it'' then I'd simply reply with, well then you'll have to wait untill you can afford it or use Spotify/Youtube.

yh dan if they r 10, its common sense. I download music, movies, games, the whole shabang. I think its grand the artists now days r greedy ****es they make money off gigs etc. Il never stop downloading illegally, even if im caught il just stop downloading at home and il just download music from internet cafes etc.

[Black_Apalachi]

Isn't it only illegal if you distribute it rather than just putting it on a CD?

Anyway illegally downloading is technically stealing so no, it's not really justifiable. The only thing you could say is that you're not physically taking another person's tangible property but that doesn't take anything away from the fact that it is their property which they're trying to sell. That excuse will only become obsolete in the future when hard copies of everything slowly die out completely and everything is digital (I'm assuming this will be the case given that it's cheaper to produce, more reliable as a method of distribution and a better quality of product for the customer).

[N!ck]

The stuff I download I wouldn't have bought anyway, so I think that is quite justifiable.

However, I do facilitate illegal downloading for quite a lot of people which probably has more of an effect.

[Mathew]

I don't illegally download anything; but then again I don't really have the die-hard urge to listen to music every minute of my life like some teenagers today do. If I want to listen to music, I'll just load up Spotify and listen to it there - it's fast, free, legal, and you have a massive database to choose from.

[LoveToStack]

I don't have enough money to buy music legitimately. If I want to listen to a song or an album and I know that I can do so for free, without getting caught if I'm cautious then I'm going to do so, regardless of whether it's morally justifiable.
You could easily argue that it's not justifiable for an artist to record a song once then burn countless copies onto countless CDs and charge £7-8 for them even though it cost's next to nothing to make. If CDs were cheaper then I might consider buying them but I'm not paying £700 for 1000 songs.
Artists could live on gig tickets alone and I don't see any artists without a roof over their head because people are stealing all their potential profits.

The point made about not stealing cars is totally irrelevant. If I could steal a car while 2000 people were stealing identical cars from the same garage at the same time then I would probably steal cars in that situation. For me it's not about the moral issue, it's about whether I will or won't get caught.

[Oleh]

If i were A) rich enough B)available and C)were in russia - i wouldnt download movies but seeing as i cant go to a cinema for every movie i wanna watch it is the only viable option for me at this current climate to download, i watch movies i wanna watch i download what i already have watched or isnt coming out for a good few weeks.

I download music for the pure fact that £8 for an album i only like 3 songs on isnt a good idea for me to be using my money for, id rather download those 3 songs for free.

I only acquire games legally nowadays unless its a crappy pc game like plants vs zombies or something similar.

If prices were cheaper for under 18s then it would encourage more teens to purchase them.

IMO downloading music isnt a bad thing, as many artists apposing the recent digital economy act, they would rather it be free as its free publicity which leads onto more sales of concert tickets and what not which gains alot more profit than a few cds (if people on here have informed be correctly, they barely make 10% off a cd sale)

The reference to stealing a car is invalid, a car is £10,000 whereas a movie is about £6 - Cars are needed for travel and have been paid for not for profit but for necessity, Music being paid for is for novelty, it shouldnt be as much as it is. Movies i agree with, few million to make and advertise, some movies make fractions of profit which has to pay all the staff, music pays mainly the producers not the performers.