@wkyo wrote:
Music used to be so simple. You listened to it on the radio for free, but you didn’t get to say what would be played, and there were lots of commercials. Stealing music was when you shoplifted a CD or cassette from the record store, and it was pretty clearly understood that it was “wrong.”
Maybe that’s why so many people who are older than say 30 think that downloading music is ethically wrong. They remember that music is something that you pay for. They still download the music, of course. But they know they’re doing something they shouldn’t be doing.
Let’s put the law aside for a moment – this post is about doing the right thing. We’ve been hammered with messaging from the government and the music labels that downloading or listening to music on the Internet is stealing, unless you pay for it.
But over the last few years the line has blurred to the point where there really isn’t any line any more. We can listen to free, on demand streaming music at Youtube, naijaloaded and lots of other sites.
But downloading music, that’s still wrong, right? Nope. If you live in China, you can download music legally from Google for free. No problem.
No one in their right mind could formulate an argument that downloading music on the Internet is “wrong” at this point. All the labels have left is the law.
Eventually the reality of the Internet will force the laws to change, too. One way or another the music labels will eventually surrender, and recorded music will be free.
Until it is, I refuse to feel guilty for downloading and sharing music. Every time I listen to a song, or share it with a friend, I’m doing the labels a favor. One that eventually I should be paid for. Until that day comes, don’t even think about trying to tell me that I’m doing something ethically wrong when it’s considered quite legal, with the labels’ blessing, in China.
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