When is it okay to download a song illegally?
People say that downloading illegally isn't the same as stealing. And sometimes, that's true. You're not taking a thing like a car or a baby from somebody. You're just making more copies of the same thing. That's not stealing, it's... well it's a bit like counterfeiting, but I'll let that slide because you aren't going to weaken the currency markets by downloading Ke$ha.
But here's the catch: if you're going to download a song and not pay for it, you have to offset the karma balance somehow. Maybe send a check for $0.11 to the artist, because honestly that's about all the record company would give them. Or you could go to their show and buy merch from them. That's a much better way of showing your support.
Here are my personal rules for downloading without paying.
1. Are the majority of the members of the band dead?
If they're dead, go for it. My money won't help you any if you're dead. And I don't care about your children. If they want money they can create their own damn music.
2. If not dead, is the band obscure and defunct?
This is a kind of refined version of question one. If the band existed a while back, never really took off, and legitimate copies of their work are hard to come by, then I see procuring online copies as a way of spreading the word.
In the vast sea of information that is the internet, it's easy to stumble across hundreds of thousands of bands that never gained popularity. For some, the fact that they never did gain that popularity was what prevented them from going further. And among some of those millions of songs, a few are going to be gems.
Discovery leads to exposure, exposure leads to buzz, buzz leads to people with clout spreading the word even further, and suddenly a band gets their fair due, something they would not have gotten had it not been for file-sharing.
On the internet, you can overcome the fact that your band never played in big or important venues. You can overcome the fact that your music was too far ahead of its time. You can get a fair shake and a second chance. Or third. Or whatever large number it takes until that niche finds you.
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light rant:
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...I'm afraid I cannot agree.
"You're not taking a thing like a car or a baby from somebody."
Actually, like it or not, you are. You are removing money from people's pockets. You are removing it from the artists pocket as well as all the people's pocket who work at the record company (like the mail clerk who will be laid off for downsizing) and probably five other levels like producers etc. If money isn't paid for the art, the art stops being made and distributed. You gotta look more "bigger picture" rather than just Artist Vs Record Company.
If a band wishes to give their music away for free then all's fine and dandy. But if they sign with a company who gives them money to do a job then the Band really gives up the right to make such a decision and or the right to enforce copyright and I don't think that we are in any position to un-make that decision for them or the company.
Think about it. What if lots of people decided to stop paying for what ever it is that keeps food in your fridge...yet keep getting what ever that service or item is? Would it be ok as long as they sent somebody else 11 cents?
It really just comes down to something as simple as: Did you pay for it? No? Was it given to you? No? It probably IS stealing...no matter how much you feel like you can justify it.
/light rant