Blog 9

THE ETHICS OF PEER TO PEER FILESHARING

Lecture Discussion: Is it ok to download music and movies?

Steve made the point that before the 20th Century people had their own music that they sang, played and passed from one generation to the next and that the idea of paying for music was perhaps just a passing fad. The students in the class made the moral distinction between stealing from a tangible product from a shop and downloading music and movies which are (eventually) given away for free on the radio and TV.

• Some artists are happy to have more people listening to their music, without making any profiit. They make majority of their money from concerts and merchandise.
• The loss of money from ‘pirating’ can be questioned >> was the person ever going to even by the record?
• Songs are already played in the radio and through MySpace for free >> why should the downloading of them cost something?
• Who i really making the money from downloads? The Internet service provider
• Piracy is the cause of mass communication
• Piracy: changing people’s habits
• New media adapt themselves to the new technologies constantly: the music industry should be doing the same!
• The fact is that there is no way to stop the downloading.