October 08, 2003
poll: what's your opinion on music file-sharing and programs such as kazaa and morpheus. (i.e. is it stealing, or not?)
MatBoySlimm: File Sharing: It's not all about the music - A piece of art no longer in the format it was originally produced on is no longer that same piece of art thus it is no longer protected under the same copyrighted protection as before - remember taping something off the radio, blank tapes were great and the RIAA wasn't a bunch of F**kers about that. I say: keep the music coming from wherever, you're still gonna suck us dry for concert tickets.... btw... Artists make about 2% from cd sales, 2%!!!!! the music companies give the artist a contract worth, oh, say, 50 mill, but.... that's just a loan, a band must tour in order to make money... besides if you want to see the Mona Lisa, you're not gonna get a postcard of it, you're gonna spend the money for the airfare and go see the damn thing.... enough of this shit, let the file sharers share and let the record companies come up with other ways to take our money.
screwtape617: i think that its really funny when christians steal, er... i mean download praise songs off the internet and then act like they can worship God through that music, because as we all know God is glorified best by theft. apparently copywrite laws don't apply to God's kingdom. i'm sure that someone will post something relativistic like "well, you may think its wrong, but it's not for me." well ok dummy, you may think its wrong for me to think you're dumb and a thief, but it's not wrong for me.
LunaMayonaise617: i think you know my thoughts. but, if your are not bothered by downloading music and think that it is ok i guess that it's ok because our guide is our conscience, even though it sometimes can be corrupted. but i think it is wrong unless the music isn't copyrighted.
SydtheOk: I actually did research on the subject for a newspaper article, and I became quite opinionated on the issue. File-sharing, though fabulously convenient and free, is a form of stealing. Just because you have access to something, doesn't mean it is right to take it. Yes, music artists make a lot more money than us, the work is theirs and they deserve to reap the benefits. Would you want part of your paycheck taken before it even reached your hands?
lexcofireman: I think people that use it for profit are breaking the law, but I don't know the laws well enough to know if the ones that just like music are breaking any laws. File sharing is no worse than burning a copy of a CD....but isn't that illegal too? Eh, I think we have too many laws anyway. And I like free music.
A321sesame: Well.......the recording artists make like 83 cents a cd so who's really stealing? Also---the RIAA is being sued by kazaa because they stole the program and screwed with it violating the copyright law and liscencing agreements......there's some food for thought---I mean I suppose you are stealing somewhat---but I don't mind paying reasonably priced for music---but 15 dollars for a cd with 2 good songs when the artists get 38 cents,,,,in the famous words of the c & c music factory---the things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm
stickfigureblack: stealing is wrong! taking that which does not belong to you is stealing. if you do not have permission from the rightful owner to have something, it is stealing. regardless of the consequences to whomever, (whether file sharing hurts or helps the artists, labels, listeners, etc.), file sharing is stealing. in addition, the legal implications are irrelavant in that just because it's legal, doesnt make it right. the other issue- this crap about how much the artists make, and how we're the ones being ripped off by the record companies: look at what Jesus says in the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:13, "but he answered one of them, 'friend, I am not being unfair to you. didn't you agree to work for a denarius?" (you should actually read the whole parable). those artists' music is not your human right to have and no one is forcing you to purchase the music. if you dont like the cost of the music, deal without the music... or steal it!
cherlygirlJ12: what if the music I downloaded I just did to see if I liked the artist and they aren't well known enough to have a hightechy website then I bought their cd and deleted the songs from my computer, I'm not about to throw away the burned cds of past relationships b'c I think the guys shouldn't have downloaded the songs, and what about a super fun mix of all songs I have on different cds I/my sis whose cds I take any have purchased but i downloaded them to burn together to make for easy listening. I mean I paid for the music once.
CrimsonColorEye: I think file sharing is indeed stealing. Whether that is wrong or not is debatable. If the artists don't mind, like smaller artists that use file sharing to get their names out, then I don't see where the problem is. On the other hand, the multi-million dollar people like gay old Metallica can get over it, because the only people that are actually going to buy their cd's to begin with, are the die-hard Metallica fans, who wouldn't download their music anyway. For smaller bands that don't want their music shared, that's respectable, and I would not mind not downloading their stuff. The rest can kiss my rump.
torchsonghero: today i got rid of all of my burned cds (save those few received directly from the artists). and i was just going to post that, but then i was like "hey, what great material for a poll." the topic spawned some great conversation in java city this morning. i think it boils down to this: 1) is music "sharing" stealing? if you believe it is, then 2a) it comes down to you vs. your conscience. as a christian, i should be bothered by the idea of stealing music, no matter how small of a profit artists make off of their cds (besides it all adds up). and maybe some artists are ok about kazaa because it draws crowds to their shows. but, if this isn't true for all of them, then it shouldn't be an issue. plenty of artists offer at least partial downloads of their music on their websites. however, if you don't think sharing is stealing then 2b) you probably can't be convinced otherwise because you've manipulated the copyright laws in your own mind to justify your acts. and if you sleep better at night thinking you're not stealing, great.
thanks for responding, folks, it's always more interesting that way.
MatBoySlimm: File Sharing: It's not all about the music - A piece of art no longer in the format it was originally produced on is no longer that same piece of art thus it is no longer protected under the same copyrighted protection as before - remember taping something off the radio, blank tapes were great and the RIAA wasn't a bunch of F**kers about that. I say: keep the music coming from wherever, you're still gonna suck us dry for concert tickets.... btw... Artists make about 2% from cd sales, 2%!!!!! the music companies give the artist a contract worth, oh, say, 50 mill, but.... that's just a loan, a band must tour in order to make money... besides if you want to see the Mona Lisa, you're not gonna get a postcard of it, you're gonna spend the money for the airfare and go see the damn thing.... enough of this shit, let the file sharers share and let the record companies come up with other ways to take our money.
screwtape617: i think that its really funny when christians steal, er... i mean download praise songs off the internet and then act like they can worship God through that music, because as we all know God is glorified best by theft. apparently copywrite laws don't apply to God's kingdom. i'm sure that someone will post something relativistic like "well, you may think its wrong, but it's not for me." well ok dummy, you may think its wrong for me to think you're dumb and a thief, but it's not wrong for me.
LunaMayonaise617: i think you know my thoughts. but, if your are not bothered by downloading music and think that it is ok i guess that it's ok because our guide is our conscience, even though it sometimes can be corrupted. but i think it is wrong unless the music isn't copyrighted.
SydtheOk: I actually did research on the subject for a newspaper article, and I became quite opinionated on the issue. File-sharing, though fabulously convenient and free, is a form of stealing. Just because you have access to something, doesn't mean it is right to take it. Yes, music artists make a lot more money than us, the work is theirs and they deserve to reap the benefits. Would you want part of your paycheck taken before it even reached your hands?
lexcofireman: I think people that use it for profit are breaking the law, but I don't know the laws well enough to know if the ones that just like music are breaking any laws. File sharing is no worse than burning a copy of a CD....but isn't that illegal too? Eh, I think we have too many laws anyway. And I like free music.
A321sesame: Well.......the recording artists make like 83 cents a cd so who's really stealing? Also---the RIAA is being sued by kazaa because they stole the program and screwed with it violating the copyright law and liscencing agreements......there's some food for thought---I mean I suppose you are stealing somewhat---but I don't mind paying reasonably priced for music---but 15 dollars for a cd with 2 good songs when the artists get 38 cents,,,,in the famous words of the c & c music factory---the things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm
stickfigureblack: stealing is wrong! taking that which does not belong to you is stealing. if you do not have permission from the rightful owner to have something, it is stealing. regardless of the consequences to whomever, (whether file sharing hurts or helps the artists, labels, listeners, etc.), file sharing is stealing. in addition, the legal implications are irrelavant in that just because it's legal, doesnt make it right. the other issue- this crap about how much the artists make, and how we're the ones being ripped off by the record companies: look at what Jesus says in the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:13, "but he answered one of them, 'friend, I am not being unfair to you. didn't you agree to work for a denarius?" (you should actually read the whole parable). those artists' music is not your human right to have and no one is forcing you to purchase the music. if you dont like the cost of the music, deal without the music... or steal it!
cherlygirlJ12: what if the music I downloaded I just did to see if I liked the artist and they aren't well known enough to have a hightechy website then I bought their cd and deleted the songs from my computer, I'm not about to throw away the burned cds of past relationships b'c I think the guys shouldn't have downloaded the songs, and what about a super fun mix of all songs I have on different cds I/my sis whose cds I take any have purchased but i downloaded them to burn together to make for easy listening. I mean I paid for the music once.
CrimsonColorEye: I think file sharing is indeed stealing. Whether that is wrong or not is debatable. If the artists don't mind, like smaller artists that use file sharing to get their names out, then I don't see where the problem is. On the other hand, the multi-million dollar people like gay old Metallica can get over it, because the only people that are actually going to buy their cd's to begin with, are the die-hard Metallica fans, who wouldn't download their music anyway. For smaller bands that don't want their music shared, that's respectable, and I would not mind not downloading their stuff. The rest can kiss my rump.
torchsonghero: today i got rid of all of my burned cds (save those few received directly from the artists). and i was just going to post that, but then i was like "hey, what great material for a poll." the topic spawned some great conversation in java city this morning. i think it boils down to this: 1) is music "sharing" stealing? if you believe it is, then 2a) it comes down to you vs. your conscience. as a christian, i should be bothered by the idea of stealing music, no matter how small of a profit artists make off of their cds (besides it all adds up). and maybe some artists are ok about kazaa because it draws crowds to their shows. but, if this isn't true for all of them, then it shouldn't be an issue. plenty of artists offer at least partial downloads of their music on their websites. however, if you don't think sharing is stealing then 2b) you probably can't be convinced otherwise because you've manipulated the copyright laws in your own mind to justify your acts. and if you sleep better at night thinking you're not stealing, great.
thanks for responding, folks, it's always more interesting that way.
