Downloading Music
...owner of Recordsmith in Richmond says that mp3’s initially helped his business. People download the music then come in to buy the CD. Previewing the CD is just one benefit of downloading, this introduces the buyer to a new artist, and if they enjoy them, they may want to go ahead and buy the CD. Another benefit is that you can purchase or download only the songs that appeal to you; I mean not every CD is perfect, there’s bound to be songs you don’t like. Picture this, you ask the clerk about a CD but they don’t have it in stock and it will take a week to ship in. Well that’s also a “pro” to downloading; you receive the music right to you on your computer, no shipping what-so-ever. Many artists have their own opinions on the aspect of mp3’s. The Black Eyed Peas state they definitely have downloaded music themselves, and say it’s good for sampling but if you really like the artist you should follow up and buy the album. Dido says it’s a mixed thing for her, she loves that people get the chance to listen to her music however they hear it. But Sarah McLachlan says it’s frustrating as an artist to know that people are taking her music for free. But what’s your opinion? Many people believe that downloading music for personal use should be allowed, but if you’re making the CD and selling it then that shouldn’t be tolerated. In Canada, downloading copyright music is LEGAL but uploading those files is not. But in the US, The US Digital Millennium Copyright Act is much stricter and believes copying of copyright music; - with the exception of making a copy for your own use is ILLEGAL. On Tuesday, September 09, 2003 in New York, the Record Industry Association of America or RIAA sued 261 people for copying thousands of songs from the popular file sharing program Kazaa. Among these 261 people was a 12 year old. She didn’t know what she was doing wrong; she thought it was safe with Kazza because they had paid for the program. She and many other people were sued under federal copyright law fo...