As a veteran in File-Sharing (ok, veteran at all ...) I like to give my point-of-view from a different perspective. Two examples to illustrate:
Example 1:
Tori Amos' first record "Y Kant Tori Read" was published 1988 and sold in only very few copies (LP, no CD), then Tori Amos succeeded in taking the album back from the market and shops and destroying it. The record company helped.
Results:
1. Fans paid incredible amounts of money (more than 1'000 $) for one of the rare copies of "Y Kant Tori Read". Neither the artist nor the company saw one single buck.
2. The album was published again (as LP) illegally by italian and chinese companies who did not even think about having the publishing rights. Profit for criminals, not artist or company.
3. Fans who were not millionaires or did not want to pay for illegal recors had no chance to get the music (if they should or not because the artist did not accept her work any more is another question).

Several years ago (aaahh, those lovely Napster-Days ) during several painful and long Internet-Sessions (on 56k) I succeeded in downloading all 10 songs of "Y Kant Tori Read", 9 in good quality, one in rather poor.
Now: why should i NOT share with other fans ?

Example 2:
I am 'rich' enough to buy from time to time limited editions of rare publications and/or special remixes and/or similar material. All this stuff is VERY expensive here in Europe. Examples: Radiohead Edition for Japanese market (>50$), Björk-Box with Video-Tape and four CDs with previously unpublished material (160$) or Collector's Box with about 25 remixes of some of her songs (80$).
This is NOT material for the masses, it's for some hardcore fans. I bought it, I have legal CDs, the MP3s are legal for personal use.
Why should I not share with those fans who a) could not get (!! not steal !!) one of the limited editions or b) didn't even know about ? Don't forget: having the music is NOT having the Special Edition Collector Box (or similar).

When I'm in Internet and start Morpheus/Limewire then I check who tries to download material of THIS kind. If it's a site with several dozens of gig's with all kind of music (and - for instance - porn pictures as well) I kick them out. When I see in his/her files that they already have more music of "my" artists then I let them download.
So: I share. I give. I do not steal.


I don't care a beep beep about my rank

The problem with songs, is they belong to someone. They deserve to be paid. One group can not incude a song from another group, wtihout the creators permission and compensation. Why should people then think they have a right to get it for free. And, just because one person decided to put it up on-line, does not mean it is ok to download it either. What if any of you, created a first prise rearch paper, but someone got a hold of it and put it online and another got it and published it and gave it away. You get left with a worthless piece of paper. Its published, and anyone can get it for free, therefore you make nothing off it.

Intelectual property, I think its called, like the mods that are posted here. You can't use them in your mod, with out getting permission. That means what is right, is contacting the creator of it and getting permission. If they say no, then you could not use it.

*Shakes head* at this whole thing.

Edited by - Finalday on 2/15/2005 5:19:47 AM

@FD
You discuss on a general level - there I agree.
But my point is: This music (see my examples above) is NOT available, it's impossible to buy it on regular market and therefore to pay for the rights. And here, sharing does not take away intellectual, artistical (?) or commercial properties.

And - another point: why do more and more well known and popular bands or artists publish some of their songs on internet sites for FREE download ? Because they know that this is marketing too

If I ever Download a Song, I would normally listern to it, I found that I liked I would go a buy the CD, if I found that I didn't like it then I would delete the file. I perfer Buying CDs, DVDs and Games.

"A TopGun through and through"

TBH, I listen to alot of music while coding FL. I have a general rule for donwloading. If its a single and probably a one hit wonder, I see no point in wasting £4 on their rubbish, so if its in my head for a day or so, I d/l it. If I then like the band, I'll have a look for another song. If I have 2 songs and I like them both, I will then go out and buy there album. Keane is a good example of this.

For me it's very simple: if the artist is just starting or is not really rich for some other reason I always pay for it by buying it...

BUT, if the artist already has 5 villa's, a private yet, limousine and a paycheck higher then you will earn in your life (And let's face it guys: that IS how the situation is with pretty much all of the most famous artists nowadays) then I say Screw them and d/l it...

NO WAY I will be paying for their sixth villa/2000th pair of shoes they will never wear anyway!
It even possible to spend money more senselessly as pretty much all of those most famous artists are doing?

Edited by - TerraN on 2/21/2005 6:21:24 AM