Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Pirates on the internet!



















My view on piracy has not changed much since our first discussion about it. I knew it was bad since the beginning. However I did not realize the "Mashups" I enjoy were considered copyright infringement. I mean every DJ that I've heard on the radio does a little bit of a mashup and they don't get into trouble. I suppose the difference is that they have the rights to play the songs to begin with?

I for one have never downloaded a "Pirated" song. I may have been given a CD from a friend that could possibly have been pirated music. I'm one of those suckers who has probably spent over five hundred dollars for music on iTunes.

People make a big deal about "Peer to Peer" music sites. My question is, what's the difference between those websites and you loaning a CD to your friend and they "rip" it into their music library. I have iTunes and I know that you have the option to copy the CD into the computer to then put on your MP3 player. Isn't that the same thing? I've copied an entire music library from one of my friends. That means I didn't pay for the music, it's the same thing as a Peer to Peer site would be. The difference is that it's not happening over the web, it's happening in your homes.

The music industry could actually benefit from this, in a way. Like in an earlier example I read that one of Taylor Swift's songs was leaked onto the internet. Her and the publishers thought this would be catastrophic, when actually it helped. People liked the song so it made them want to get the entire CD.

The music industry could also suffer from this. In my opinion though as long as theirs music people will find ways to enjoy it without having to buy it. For example, cassettes, people would insert a blank cassette and then record the music off the radio. When they were the new thing in car electronics people could then listen to the cassette they recorded on in their car. They had music they liked and didn't have to pay for it. It will continue to happen, just with different devices.

2 comments:

  1. Jess,

    I really enjoyed reading your blog post on Piracy and I thought the images that you chose for this particular assignment were dead on. I give you a lot of credit for never downloading a pirated song because it is pure willpower to deny a download of a song that you really want to hear and can't get access to unless you purchase it legally. Also, I did hear of the instance with Taylor Swift and how the leak helped spark not only that particular single and album, but actually her future success. Right now, she is probably one of the top 5 most popular artists in America due to her range of music that displays a few different genres such as her main one, country, and also pop and even a little bit of soft rock.

    Overall though, you said you opinion stayed the same as before but once I read more of your blog, you kind of took a stance on both sides. I know it is hard to support just one side when writing these blog assignments because you want to make sure you list the advantages and disadvantages of both sides. Counter-arguments are also great in blog posts because it lets your readers know that you are looking at both sides of the argument.

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  2. Thanks a lot. I haven't had anyone comment on my blog in a while. I spent the most time on this one. It just came to me! lol

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