Sei sulla pagina 1di 6

Annalore Salemi Red 3/5/13 Critical Thinking Online Music/File Sharing Online music sharing and copyright laws

regarding these issues are an immensely important issue in society today because so many people can participate easily in file sharing . The technology available and the laws that are insufficiently enforced have led to the widespread popularity and use of technology to share music files. As a result of these issues with copyright and file sharing, Congress must make copyright laws regarding online music sharing less restrictive because free downloads are beneficial for the artists, allow music to be more readily available and music is not percieved as stolen by the downloader. When radio first started playing recorded music, music sales went down, presumably as a result (Card). This whole situation has happened before with no major consequences for the music markets. When radio was introduced it was expected to hurt music sales, similarly to online music sharing is expected to. However, just as music sharing does, it introduced people to new music, which publicizes artists, which benefits the music they are playing . Radio let people hear musicians they might never have found otherwise and file sharing does the same (Card). These things allow for more CD and music sales for the artist, which can help them a lot. Artists can benefit from music sharing because it promotes their music. Record companies dont like file sharing because, even though it has

benefits to the artist, the changes in the music market to benefit file sharing can hurt the profits of record companies. Technology has always changed the markets when something new is developed. This negative change was expected to happen when TV was first allowed to play movies. This was also expected to happen when videotapes first came out. This was also expected to happen when rental videotapes came out. All of these technologies actually helped the television and film market by creating an aftermarket that was extremely popular for movies (Card). Technology brings necessary change to markets that if the companies do not allow, they will be extremely unsuccessful. People, especially younger, teenage, college age students, have already started accepting music sharing, either peer to peer or off download sites as a popular method of getting new music, regardless of what copyright law says. These laws are especially disregarded because they are almost never enforced, leaving people to break the law with no consequences. All of the new technologies in society has made an impact on the markets, but in a positive manner. Online music sharing affects everyone regardless of whether or not one shares music his or herself. It especially affects the artists who are not getting the payment they were guaranteed for their music by the strict copyright laws that are not even being enforced. However, most companies who enforce their copyright laws are not helping themselves. This is a result from the popularity of music sharing among young, usually college age students, who companies are usually most eager to market to because they are brandable (Card). The people they are making enemies out of the people usually do not have enough money to buy the music they are downloading, and would not have

bought it if they had not downloaded it. Not only are copyright laws unfair and unreasonable, the technology needed to file share has been granted to everyone who can afford it. Computers are machines that are made to do things like file share and it is extremely accessible if one has a computer. Instead of discouraging something a computer was made to do, Congress should change copyright laws so they are less restrictive and help the artists instead. Free downloads of songs help artists because people are more likely to buy something if they already know they like it. This type of promoting gets great results. This is why radio is so popular because when a song gets on the radio, more people can hear it. This allows artists to expand their market and allows them to spread their music to people who, many times, may not have ever discovered their music any other way. Online music sharing can give artists a wider audience and it is expedient to increase their music sales. Artist Janis Ian says that I've found that every time we make a few songs available on my website, sales of all the CDs go up (Ian). Since this is also true for other artists, music sharing online seems as though it will aid and increase their music sales, similarly to how radio has benefitted artists. Though music sharing is technically violating copyright law, which makes it socially unacceptable among adults, music sharing is generally accepted by younger generations as a thing that everyone does. This is purely for the reason that so many people can file share with computers and sharing files of music is easy and every computer and person who wants to can participate. Everyone has been provided with the materials necessary and it does not feel as though one is stealing. Many people view copying music as something

different than going to a store and stealing a candy bar. This is because because it was a copy, not the original which somehow makes it different in the eyes of most people (Gorry). Copyright should be protecting the artists, not their companies, who are usually taking most of the profits from sales, either way. If artists are protected, music downloaders will feel more guilt because [t]he emotional connection is between musician and audience, not between the company and the audience (Card). People who are music sharing are more likely to feel guilt when they feel they are taking something directly away from an artist (Card). Music companies are unfairly treating their artists. The copyright laws are too strict. The copyright laws have been extended to protecting artists seventy years after they have died. This is completely unreasonable and the whole life of the copyright should be twenty years because this allows music to be shared with everyone instead of being only made to bring in a profit, which is not the point of art (Card.) Changing copyright laws is a simple solution to this issue, however the big record companies will never allow it. File sharing, regardless of the actions that Congress could or should take will continue to happen. The only difference that could be made is by the copyright laws being fairer, both to the artists and the consumers or file sharers in some cases. This could lead to music sharing actually benefiting the artists. Music and file sharing has already gotten music out to so many more people than it would have any other way that, regardless of it breaking copyright law, it is still beneficial to our society. This is because music is art. Art is supposed to be shared because it is pointlessly made if it is not. Music gives people something or someone to relate to and can help people. This will only hurt the artists

because it is difficult to enforce these copyright laws, especially when they are so strict and unfair, to both the downloader and the artists. Companies often threaten to sue people who file share on the possibility of it spreading from the one file they shared and leading to millions and millions of copies of the one shared file. These threats are almost never carried out, leaving companies, who are obsessed with gaining profits usually gaining these profits by stealing from the artists, with less money. Companies are usually extremely hypocritical and almost never help themselves by taking the more reasonable route that will give them more profits and loyal customers in the long run. In conclusion, the big record companies are using unreasonable laws and are not helping anyone except themselves. Music and file sharing will continue to happen because the technology needed is now available to everyone and no one wants to pay for something they can have for free. It is necessary for Congress to change copyright laws to be more reasonable and less restrictive on music. The laws need to protect the artists. Music sharing is going to continue to happen, whether or not Congress and music and record companies want it to.

Works Cited Silverthorne, Sean. "Illegal File Sharing Enhances the Future of the Music Industry." What Is the Future of the Music Industry? Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue. Rpt. from "Music DownloadsPirates or Customers?" Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. 2004. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. Gorry, Anthony G. "Many People Do Not View Online Music Sharing as Wrong." Internet Piracy. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. Rpt. from "Steal This MP3 File." Chronicle of Higher Education 23 May 2003. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. Card, Orson Scott. "The Harms of Online Music Sharing Are Exaggerated." Internet Piracy. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. Rpt. from "MP3s Are Not the Devil, and MP3s Are Not the DevilPart II." The Ornery American. 2003. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. Ian, Janis. "Online Music Sharing May Benefit Artists." Internet Piracy. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. Rpt. from "The Internet Debaclean Alternative View." www.janisian.com. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2013.

Potrebbero piacerti anche