Melissa Gale- Personal Opinion

All of us either know someone who has downloaded songs without permission or have downloaded free songs ourselves. The question is whether or not downloading these songs is wrong. Depending on whom you ask you will get a different answer. Some people feel it is illegal and wrong while others feel it is okay to illegally download songs.

Even music artists are mixed on their answer to the question of downloading. Shakira, a popular singer, has been quoted saying, “I like what's going on because I feel closer to the fans and the people who appreciate the music... It's the democratization of music in a way. And music is a gift. That's what it should be, a gift,"(popeater.com). However, the RIAA feels a different way. The RIAA is an organization that works hard to keep the music industry thriving. The RIAA says:” In support of this mission, we work to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists; conduct consumer, industry and technical research; and monitor and review state and federal laws, regulations and policies.” The RIAA goes on to say that the law is very clear on the issue. Illegal downloading is called “illegal” for a reason and that downloading legally can be done for a very affordable price.

So, how much does illegal downloading hurt our economy each year? According to the RIAA website, it costs 12.5 billion dollars of economic losses each year. There are 71,060 jobs lost within the United States and workers lose around $2.7 billion in earnings. $422 million is lost each year in tax revenues and $291 million is lost in personal income tax. The RIAA also says that $131 million is lost in corporate income and production taxes, (http://www.riaa.com/faq.php). The RIAA says that they realize they will never be able to completely end music piracy. However, they hope to be able to bring the level of music piracy to a manageable one.

Personally, I don’t download songs illegally but I have had several friends and family member that do. I think that it is very difficult for people to think of downloading songs illegally as being the same as shoplifting. I know it is hard for me to think of it that way. However, as RIAA says, the law is very clear. I think that we should be able to share music on peer to peer websites but we shouldn’t because it is illegal. Doing so, could result in a large fine and a loss of integrity.