File Sharing

Most likely you guys have talked about this a million times but I just wanted to know. Does anyone use programs like Bearshare, Gnutella, and Morpheus? How do you feel about file sharing. Is it wrong to distribute music over the net without buying the musician's CDs?

This is my opinion. I think it is ok if a band doesn't care. Groups like Radiohead, U2, Rage Against the Machine, and even those losers, Limp Bizkit (they got paid millions for supporting Napster so...), don't care if you distribute their songs. If I don't hear at least 3 songs that are good from a CD then I usually don't buy it, and I buy a lot of CDs, too. File sharing has actually increased the amount of music I buy, and I am hardly ever let down by the quality of the CDs I buy. I think one of the fears that the record industry and musicians have is that people will hear a few songs that are downloaded (besides the single on the radio) and realize that the CD sucks. The record industry would actually have to find good musicians and musicians would have to actually be able to play and write something meaningful to get a record deal. They could no longer rely on commercialism and their one good song to make their millions. That's just my theory.

Tell me what you think.

It is true that it's generally the record companies that are making a big deal over this, so you might have a point. Look, if someone can prove that artists are losing money out of the whole thing then, regardless of anything else, it's a bad thing because musicians have to struggle to support themselves anyway. That whole idea of pirating things you like and therefore not paying for the very things you should be supporting comes into it.
However, without that proof (and I have a sneaking suspicion that it doesn't exist) then one major problem arises for the artists. The only control over songs that an artist has is intellectual copywrite, that they control how it gets distributed. If an artist doesn't have control over their own songs then it is a bit unfair. However, the very concept of artists having control of music, rather than the public in general is a pretty modern idea - in the past the composer was never considered to be special, the music was simply there to serve a purpose. It's a bit shaky ground to argue that it is some irrefutable right for the artist to have control over how their song is distributed, so it can be a bit hard to get upset about programs that attack that control.
On the othe rhand, I never use any file sharing programs, I can't be bothered.

Most bands and song writers only get a few cents of royalty for every CD sold, so having people download their songs off the internet instead of buying the album doesn't really hurt them at all. It actually helps them, because the more people that hear their songs, then the more people will come to their concerts (which is where bands make most of their real money).

The only people hurt by this whole thing are the RIAA . . . and I say so what! Let's bankrupt those bastards!!!

Yeah, I'm with bards hear...
Also, when i copy something, the original is still there, and i'm not depriving anyone from it, and I've nto taken any profits from it, cos i wouldn't buy it at it's current price.. So it's most deifinetly not "theft" as morons on tv try to make it out to be... (i mean, lets imagine that i would buy a pirated copy of a photo/ vidoe editing program (would i do such thing?), because it cost $560 at the cheapest place on the net, and i dont use it that much, and it's not for a necesity... if they price was $60, I would have no problem with buying it... simple as that, but at $560 I cant buy it, so they're not making a profit out of me either way, so why not simply let me have a copy anyway? Is it fair that i should be deprived as i am (sob sob) poor?...)

Christoph: lol...

Oh yeah, I have another question. Has anyone ever heard a song or songs that they downloaded off the Internet and decided to buy the entire album because of the quality of those songs?

yessssssssss
zillions of times :)
-Daniel

I will admit i use Grokster from time to time for
some oldies that i did buy years ago and lost in
moving around alot.

Mark

Originally posted by educatedfilm
. . . when i copy something, the original is still there, and i'm not depriving anyone from it, and I've nto taken any profits from it . . .

Well, technically you're profiting by listening to and enjoying the music that you haven't paid for. But whether or not taking a few bucks from a mega-corporation that already has billions (and tons of insurance policies) bothers you is another issue.

For me, it doesn't.