Is file sharing so wrong?

Question

I mean, aren't we supposed to share things? What makes it so bad? We all like to share things with others that we like!

So what the music business loses out on money because of it - they still make lots of money. Lots of people still prefer to buy CDs - illegal downloading just helps them to find new and different music to buy, music they wouldn't have bought otherwise. Maybe it will motivate artists/bands to be more creative during their touring, where they still make money from.

And how ripped off have you felt when you bought an album on the strength of 1/2/3 good singles, only to find out that the rest of the album is total wasted filler trash?? This is chance to get our own back!

So bah at the music industry and its hypocrisy - lets revolt everybody!

(I hope the internet police don't see this and decide to check to see if I've downloaded any illegal files!! :/ )

Answer 1

Its very wrong if you're Gary Glitter!

But I completely agree - they're just annoyed that not as many people are paying extortionate amounts for their c**p.

Answer 2

anyone wanna copy of Wall E, Dark Knight, Mamma Mia

LOL

:-)  :-)

Answer 3

Depends on the consumer.

Answer 4

Haha, agreed.

Answer 5

Yes it,s getting more and more difficult to use this, it,s a good idea turned bad, now laws are coming in to take people to court, and have the provider suspend them from the internet. Be very carefull how much you upload and download in the future.

Answer 6

"And how ripped off have you felt when you bought an album on the strength of 1/2/3 good singles, only to find out that the rest of the album is total wasted filler trash?? This is chance to get our own back!"

Yeah.. exactly. If they bothered to make any albums these days which had more than 2 or 3 good songs on them, I would consider buying them. But they don't seem to any more...

Answer 7

I agree, every single one of my friends download music without paying a penny for it, but I think the reason it is so common nowadays is because there is much more for kids to want to spend their money on,

I also don't see the difference between lending a friend a CD or your ipod so they can listen to the music, isn't this the same thing?

Answer 8

No i dont think its wrong becuase you get too try out the stuff you would have tried too buy and if you dont like it you have saved money from buying that new piece of software that you thought was so cool or that new album thats not up too standards but sometimes its good too buy it so you can get all the extras with no worrys

Answer 9

Until the industry brings its ridiculous prices and profits down I will continue file sharing on the internet. 79p a single!!  

Answer 10

All I no is file sharing is illegal but hu cares! lol

Answer 11

Do you remember in the 1980s when all the record companies got a bee up their **** about us taping songs off the radio? Same thing, different media. They didn't stop anybody then and they won't now. Perhaps they could discourage it if they brought the price of new CDs down to a reasonable level. Let's face it, we'd have to be idiots to pay for something we could get for nothing. Most of the TV friendly manufactured c**p we're force-fed is a load of bollocks anyway. I wouldn't even download it for nothing. You have to look at smaller independent labels and lesser known bands to find genuinely creative original music and most of that stuff doesn't appear on Limewire or whatever anyway. If it's an artist I really like or a small indie label I've no problem buying their music but I'm f**ked if I'm giving any money to the major labels if I don't have to.

Answer 12

While I have to say illegal is illegal (and this thread might well be violating the terms and conditions of Yahoo! Answers) and do not condone any illegal activity, it could be argued an unjust law should be challenged. Some time ago I watched a program called Click on BBC news channel that attempted to address this issue. A case was made that “The guys who started this business all cheated somebody to get there and so now they are being cheated perhaps by all these geeky crazy people all over the internet.”

I would just like to add that CD’s were much cheaper to produce than vinyl. Yet CD’s were much more expensive to buy. Why then, did they charge so much more for a cheaper product? Because they could. Why then, do people illegally download music/films? Because they can. Human nature strikes again!

If anybody follows the link below to watch (it’s legal!) perhaps if you know the identity of the person who made the comment, please could you let us know? I didn’t see him in the credits. I thought he looked like Richard Dreyfuss. Much appreciated.

Answer 13

I have a slightly different angle on (music) file sharing probably because I'm older...

I bought the 7" vinyl singles... bought the 12" vinyl albums... bought them again on cassette (for the car). I no longer have a vinyl player (don't have a cassette player either now). Now the music industry says that I have to buy them again on CD!! - how many times do they think they can sell me the same music?

...and don't even get me started on compilation albums! - you buy the singles, you buy the albums then they release the tracks onto compilation album & expect you to buy it all over again!!

The music industry talk about theft & yet expect to be able to take money, multiple times, for the same song? - that, in my eyes, is theft!

Answer 14

i think we should all pay what we want for stuff... that would solve a problem....

Answer 15

Yes, we should all share. So can I nip round your house and borrow your TV and CD player for - lets say - 10 years. Share and share alike.

While there is some hypocrisy on the part of the music industry, the idea that music theft should be universally acceptable as you suggest is simply arrogant tosh.

And how can stealing music for nothing act as an economic motivator for bands to do anything. I mean, from what you say, you would steal the music whether it was good or bad. If we all stole food from the supermarket - good or bad - how long would it be before they simpyl shut up shop and we starved.

So by all means blame the music industry for its heavy handed idiocy, but do not pretend that music theft is right.