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I know it's tempting, and it doesn't seem like much. But not only is it illegal, just think about it – people have worked hard on that music, and if you want to download mp3s illegally from the internet, you're taking away the royalties and potentially even the recognition an artist deserves. Far from just depriving the “faceless” record companies of a little extra profit they “don't need anyway”, a portion of the money you could have spent on that album goes to the artists who deserve to be paid for their work (which you obviously appreciate or you wouldn't have downloaded it in the first place). Funnily enough, illegally downloaded mp3s don't count in the charts either, so you could be denying your favourite artists a chance to be heard by millions of potential new fans. It's easy to download mp3s in many forms, such as torrent files - sites like the Piratebay, Supernova, or Demonoid have been shut down by the RIAA and similar associations for providing illegal torrent downloads even when they hosted no actual illegal files themselves. Think what they could do to you if they find your hard drive packed with mp3 downloads! (Having said that, the Piratebay is back up and looks set to remain so, due to Sweden's unusual copyright laws. Looks like you'll be able to download torrents to your heart's content for a while longer...).
I'm not saying I approve of the way the RIAA, MPAA and other organisations have gone about fighting internet piracy. One person who is caught downloading mp3s has probably not stolen millions of dollars worth of music, and it seems unfair to fine people who clearly don't have that much money at this level. But if you want to download mp3s which you know are illegal, you do it at your own risk, and you should appreciate that. All I'm asking, as a musician myself, is that you consider what you could be doing to the artists, and if you really like the music, support them by buying it.
About this poster:
Posted by:
OwenTuz
(male, 20-ish)
(Posted 11/28/07)
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Support The Artists: Don't Download Mp3s!
