Should file sharing be legal ,?

Question

I'm talking about tv shows/movies/music etc on torrent sites and p2p programs ,
reasons for and against would be nice please,

Answer 1

I do not believe that file sharing is illegal or theft. Sharing copyrighted works is. Copying without permission is illegal, I do not believe that it is theft though. It is a breach of copyright, but it is not theft.

If you have a car, and I steal it, that is theft as I have the vehicle and you don't anymore.

If you have a file and I copy it. You still have the file. I have not taken it from you. I have a copy that I have not paid for, but I haven't taken anything from you leaving you with less than you had before.

if I download a file from you without paying for it, I would argue that you have lost nothing, as I always pay what I am prepared to pay for any downloadable media. If I am prepared to pay for it, I will. If not, then you have not lost a sale, as I was not prepared to buy it in the first place. In fact whoever has the copyright is more likely to make a sale by letting me download for free, as then I find out if I like it. If I do, then I am more likely to buy.

Answer 2

Absolutely yes - it would stop the music and film industry hunting down illegal sites and justifying there over-inflated prices.

When Phillips lost there percentage of every CD sold (given to them to recouperate their development costs) the industry had the opportunity of reducing the cost of CDs by about 15% they didn't they just took more profit.
And what of older music? Beatles albums have made hundreds of millions for the record industry so how can the industry sell them for top prices?

I don't have any sympathy for an industry that views making money as there ultimate aim, if CDs were a sensible price I'd buy them regularly, because of the cost I haven't bought a CD or a DVD in over 6 years, I certainly won't until the prices fall.

Let's not get into the argument about pre-packaged music sold to sheepish morons who are told this or that band is the latest fashion and is a must have if they want to be "cool". Whilst I rant... why is it that record companies have to advertise on TV to tell people just how good an artist is? Punk was never advertised and seemed to become popular in it's own right.

Countless bands and artists have managed to generate a true following without being advertised, but then they worked at it and became good at their craft through playing in clubs and small venues across the country. It's symptomatic of the instant success and equally instant decline of mediocrity that will make the industry a fast buck without too much investment.

Anyway share for all it's worth!

Answer 3

I assume you mean, "available without charge" through these utilities. I say, only with the owner's permission. Take a song written and performed by the same person as an example. He wrote it, he plays it, he hires a studio to record it, manufacture CDs, and market it. But he still owns it - if it becomes a hit, he should get the money from it. Anything that diverts that income from him is stealing.

A TV show or movie is a little more complicated, in that the actors or directors or producers may not own it, but the same idea applies. It belongs to someone - usually a studio that organized the resources to put the film or show together. They still should get the benefit of their work. In this respect, music or a movie is no different than a car or a candy bar or any other commodity.

The music example can get a little complicated, in that the artist can sell the rights to a song, but still perform it. Someone else will get the benefits from the song, but it still should go to someone.

Answer 4

Against, 1 all music artists would nearly nothing as if 1 guy buys the CD and then uploads it and shares it and then thousands of people have it an the artist hasn't made any real money as he sale item has been given away for free, Same with software say adobe, it costs 600$ for children's versions if every1 would download it Adobe wouldn't make any money and they would have to shut down, as they would go bankrupt

i know its a pain to buy it when its free but think if we kill these software company's and artists we wont ever advance in software and we would lose all the singers as they are not making any money

i also belive it steeling as, the money is been taken away from the person who should be getting it from there work

Answer 5

Yes it should. Sharing software such as Limewire, eMesh and eMule all cost money and of course it is the host's choice. My administrator has blocked all sharing program sites but apparently he uses the Morpheus sharing program therefore although people might think it is illegal, it is always useful. I may be moral be cause you may be ripping the suppliers off of their money but they make so much money from them anyway. Hope this has helped and i would recomend eMule for the stable reliable downloads (leave one download over night and it will come) or Limewire Pro (its what I have and if you only want songs, photos or docs, it is alegedly the quickest sharing problem) Be sure to have an antivirus program as some may carry viruses. I recomend NOD32 it is brilliant!

Answer 6

File sharing IS legal, distributing copywritten material is illegal and always will be, as artists and the companies invested in them make their living from it. I dont understand why people complain so much? if they didnt get paid for it they would no longer do it and you wouldnt have a movie or music industry. If you want a product, pay for it, alternatively if you dont want to pay for it, download it illegally and run the small risk of a hefty fine.

Answer 7

of course it should. i use torrents all the time, best way to see a film and see if it is worth buying or not. plus you need back ups

Answer 8

Mr. Reaper Sir, what's mine is your's! Limewire rules!!

Answer 9

it already is legal if all you share is freeware

Answer 10

share and share alike!