Fun Stuff > BAND
The whole downloading music thing...
supersheep:
It's probably something to do with the ridiculous "You wouldn't steal a car" bit on the front of most films, basically saying that downloading a film is theft. On that note, this is funny.
My own personal way of doing things is this. I will download an album. If I like it, not only will I rant about it to my friends (even if they don't listen), I will also attempt to purchase it on vinyl (cos this is prettier), and go see the band if they ever come to Dublin (which is rare enough).
Orbert:
--- Quote from: Johnny C ---More than that, theft in its very nature is intended to do damage to someone while helping the thief.
--- End quote ---
Exactly. I hate all those idiots that say I "steal" music. Excuse me, is somebody missing their CD? Show me the person who's missing the CD I supposedly stole from them, and I'll gladly give it back.
"But it's stealing because you didn't pay for it." No, it was free, out there for the taking, so I took one. No one has lost anything in order for me to gain. If anything, the net something of the world has gone up, not down, due to my actions.
"But the band has lost the money they would have made when you bought it." Wrong again. I wouldn't have bought the CD anyway, because I don't have money for new CDs. They never would have gotten my money anyway, and thus have lost nothing.
Ninja-bot:
No matter how you slice it, the music on a CD is copyrighted. No one except the copyright owner has the right to give it away in whatever form they choose. Saying it was out there for the taking does not mean it's LEGAL. If a car has its doors unlocked with the keys in the car, does that mean it's LEGAL to get in and drive to Mexico with it?
No, it's theft. Laws embedded in copyright law itself mean it's illegal to give something away you don't legally own. No matter how you slice it.
"But it's different, mp3s are DIGITAL. It's not like I'm stealing a hard copy CD". CDs are just a conduit for the digital files embedded in them. Same damn thing, just compressed which makes it, well, quicker to take. The whole "stealing a car" analogy, while played out, is only repeated because theft is theft, whether it's a piece of solid property or whether it's intellectual property. You can walk into a store, grab a candy bar and then when the owner says "Hey, you didn't pay for that!" you then say "But it was there. It was right there. If you didn't want me to take it, why didn't you put it behind locked glass?"
Regardless of who gets the cash, be it the band, the publisher, the distributer, etc, intellectual property is just that, SOMEONE'S property. Theft is almost NEVER just for the sake of doing damage to someone or something. It's almost ALWAYS about someone getting something they want without paying for it. You don't rob a bank because you don't like their hiring policies, you rob it 'cause you want a shitload of money.
Now, I'm not saying that I'm any better than anyone else. Lord knows my I didn't buy about 70% of the music on my mp3 player. I'm just saying everyone should quit kidding themselves and admit to what they're doing. If you don't purchase the album in some way, then find another way to support the band. Buy a t-shirt or two. Go to their concerts. If Jeph tells people on QC to go listen to the latest Modernboys Moderngirls EP (which is awesome), and everyone downloads it but then never gives the band a dime in some way shape or form, then it doesn't matter at all that the band got a nice feature if they are dependent on their art for their living.
It's all well and good when the band isn't deriving their primary income from their music, like A Pack of Wolves a few posts above me, but that's not the case for all bands. Anyone who thinks intellectual property laws should be eliminated obviously doesn't make their living with their intellectual property. If people couldn't make money off their intellectual property, be it music, inventions, art, etc, then there'd be very little incentive to do so and we'd be going down that wonderful (in spirit) road of Communism, which if you hadn't noticed royally sucks ass in practice.
In hindsight, writing such a post with almost no history on these boards could be the death of me. Virtual suicide ftw!
mberan42:
Nah, Ninja-bot, your post was clearly well thought-out and informative.
--- Quote from: a pack of wolves ---I'd argue that we'd all be a lot better off without intellectual property rights but that's a whole other story.
--- End quote ---
I'd love to hear your argument for that, because in my mind I cannot fathom what the world would be like without intellectual property rights.
--- Quote from: Orbert ---No one has lost anything in order for me to gain. If anything, the net something of the world has gone up, not down, due to my actions.
--- End quote ---
Unless you downloaded a Metallica or Slip Knot album - the net something of the world would go down, definitely.
valley_parade:
--- Quote from: Ninja-bot on 19 Oct 2007, 09:23 ---If you don't purchase the album in some way, then find another way to support the band. Buy a t-shirt or two. Go to their concerts.
--- End quote ---
That's pretty much my theory on it.
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