Most students at AU have, at one time or another, stolen a plate or a cup from TDR. This theft, we believe, is justified because we pay over $30,000 a year in tuition and our meals plans are obscenely overpriced. But regardless of how good the justification, when it comes down to it, we are taking something that does not rightly belong to us. Despite our arguably wrong actions, however, most would find it extremely excessive if TDR workers started to knock on dorm room doors threatening plate-stealers with judicial actions and fines.ÿ
However far-fetched it may seem, isn't music file-sharing online similar to TDR-theft? Just as AU students feel they are entitled to a plate or two, Internet users have come to feel a similar sense of entitlement when it comes to downloading music off the web. Yes, it's stealing, but it's free and doesn't appear to directly harm anyone.ÿ
The RIAA's recent attacks on file-sharing have certainly been extreme, but may have also been warranted. What many Kazaa-users do not understand is that every song that is downloaded directly hurts the artist and the record label responsible for that song. CDs are certainly over-priced, but it is not free to record and produce a CD. Internet file-swapping puts musicians and record labels in debt of millions of dollars. It also undermines the work put into the creation and production of the music. ÿ
Due to the popularity of file-sharing and the fact that people probably won't stop downloading, even under the threat of judicial action, the recording industry is being forced to restructure the distribution of music. Companies like Apple and the new Napster, which provide songs that can be downloaded for a small fee, are adapting music downloading to benefit both the consumer and the producer. Record labels are also working on cutting CD prices to encourage record sales. Some labels are also providing incentives for the purchase of a band's CD, including access to secret Web sites or free merchandise.ÿ
It is measures like these that positively counteract the overwhelming desire to file-swap free music. The RIAA's actions, on the other hand, are extreme and bring up a lot of issues regarding protection of privacy. Threatening those who download music may help to lessen the flow of free songs between Internet users, but bribing us with free stuff and providing better methods of distribution are much more constructive ways to battle the file-sharing craze.
