by Tyrell Jones

Created on: July 20, 2010

I actually think that the majority of people who think internet music is helping the artist are completely in denial. Although it helps broaden the artists’ range of fans it also contributes to internet piracy. Internet Piracy is a bigger problem then most people seem to realize. It is stealing money from people who go to work just like normal people and I am pretty sure you would not agree with people stealing money from your paycheck; so why shouldn’t they? Athletes, musicians, actors and actresses all around are falling to the same disease that’s seems to be spreading, and its called internet piracy. 

           Internet Piracy not only makes the price of CD’s in the stores go up because of lost revenue but it also clearly infringes on the persons right to live. And a right to make a living falls in the same category, considering they both are protected under the 5th amendment. Now I know people say that they should have a right to download a song if they already purchased it on a CD or tape or even a record. But the fact of the matter is that it’s not the artist’s fault that you didn’t wait to buy the tape or album. And the majority of people that that download one song, usually does not stop there. It moves to more music, then possibly movies. And nothing is done about it.

           There are many cases in which record labels or even movie studios have sued people. The most recent and interesting one to me would have to be MGM v. Grokster. Grokster is a P2P (Peer to Peer) site where people can download a song for free, re-upload it online, and have someone else download it for free.  MGM did not like the fact that they as a record label were loosing money. They sued. The court decided with MGM by saying that by providing people with software that is promoted with the intent of copyright infringements is there by reliable for thus said infringements. And this won a victory for the record labels all around. It seems to still be over looked, and most of people caught get at most a slap on the hand. It is such a big problem that when you type an innocent word like pirate in the “Google” search bar the first thing that comes up is the pirate bay. A P2P site; where online users can share files.

           Although mostly everything

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