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In recent years, the growth of file sharing communities have caused a large increase in file sharing, where many users illegally swap Copyright ed materials such as movies and music. JUSTIFICATION Those who illegally share files often believe that it does not cause harm. Advocates claim that in fact sharing helps the affected industry by allowing the consumer to sample the product before spending the money to purchase it. In the case of music, another argument is the alleged overpricing of CDs. It is often claimed that CDs are far too expensive, and the consumer should not have to pay the entire cost of a CD when in fact only one or two songs are wanted from the album. Another popular justification for file sharing is that the companies from which the Intellectual Property is being stolen are large and generate high profits, and can thus afford the price of some copies being obtained illegally. LEGALITY OF FILE SHARING File sharing is not necessarily illegal. Nearly all Shareware , Freeware , and Open Source software may be shared as much as the end user wishes, depending on the end user disclaimer for that specific piece of software. Other non-software related intellectual property may be shared legally in any way the end user desires. Content in the Public Domain can also freely be shared Peer To Peer network users are accused of breaking intellectual property laws, though advocates claim that this is fair use of copyrighted material. It is rare for violators of file sharing laws to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, if at all. It is often the case that only file sharers uploading large quanitities of illegal files will be prosecuted by authorities, if they can be located at all. POTENTIAL MUSIC INDUSTRY EFFECTS Industries affected have often blamed declining sales on the illegal sharing of files. In theory declining sales can heavily impact the publishing of new music. Thousands of civil lawsuits have therefore been filed against these violators, fining them on a "per song" basis. Many companies have also placed security devices on their products in an attempt to deter would-be file-sharers. In response to the argument about desiring a single song, companies have begun to create legal download services such as Apple 's ITunes . This program allows the download of any single song for 99 cents, and allows people to burn their own CDs. This avoids pricing complaints as the consumer can pay just for the specific songs desired. Other music services are available with different licensing than iTunes. Napster , LAUNCHcast , Rhapsody , and many others offer legal music downloads for a price. Some services offer songs on a per song basis and others give their subscribers free downloads, but force them to pay a premium. |
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