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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "ira rosen" <irosen@ixtelecom.com> |
| Subject | Re: Morality and mp3s |
| Date | Thu, 20 Feb 2003 17:29:05 -0500 |
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IMHO, the radio comparison with mp3s is not completely accurate. In the
case of radio, record companies/artists allow the use of their product in
exchange for royalties. Radio stations pay these in exchange for playing
the songs and collect advertising dollars for delivering advertisers'
messages to the public. Listening for free is the public's right.
Downloading mp3 files under the auspices of the artist/record company is
also the public's right. Trading in mp3s from other than authorized sources
does not fall under the auspices of the artist/record company. If an artist
chooses to give something away for nothing - fine. If not, the use of that
recording is effectively stealing (assuming it's used outside of the legal
definition of "fair use"). Unauthorized mp3 downloading/trading is not
"today's radio."
Now, here I am, in a position of defending the corporations that are ruining
the music biz, but the challenge posed was to defend the morality of mp3
downloading. The equation with radio doesn't work - yet.
I submit that if it has been acceptable to record Casey Kasem's Top 40, then
recording "trials" off of a streaming source on the Internet would be
equally acceptable (or unacceptable), as rule now dictates their equation
with radio and requires royalty payments (obscenely high and unfair).
Perhaps a better way to look at mp3s is in the same way one borrows music
from a friend to trial it. At its base, though, this begs the question
whether after downloading an mp3 and liking it, is the public motivated to
buy the CD or simply rely on the mp3 that has been downloaded? A CD
borrowed from a friend must be returned, an mp3, or group of mp3s need never
be returned, and can replace a single or album purchase for a good chunk of
the public at large (no it's not the same quality, but I could argue that
quality isn't an issue as vinyl and CD quality comparisons and comparisons
of both to cassette have existed for years, but all three formats are used
for distribution of the same music). It is here that the equation breaks
down. Mp3s are being used to replace purchases by many (the majority of?)
people. Immorality wins again.
Just because everyone speeds doesn't make it legal. Just because everyone
downloads mp3s doesn't make it moral
*Unauthorized* mp3 downloading is immoral - help me find a way around it.
.
Ira
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