Cause and Effect
Seth Cordell
English 101
17 April 2013
Pirating music: More than a crime Do you enjoy music? The sound of your favorite band or musician? Do you buy the physical album or download off the internet? and if you do download it from the internet do you pay for it or just download? Downloading music is a crime in the U.S. it also is an injustice to the musicians who composed and performed the music. I will explain my reasoning by giving you why this is a crime, how it effects the musicians and what you can do to stop it. Music is a very large and important part of many people's live in today's world. Rock n roll, Rap, and Country are just a few of the many genre of music out there that many people enjoy. Most people see it easier to just get online and download the album without paying and never think twice but have you ever considered this is a crime and considered theft? According to RIAA.com the law states "Making unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings is against the law and may subject you to civil and criminal liability. A civil law suit could hold you responsible for thousands of dollars in damages. Criminal charges may leave you with a felony record, accompanied by up to five years of jail time and fines up to $250,000." This is a a serious offense and in more ways than this Just as pirating hurts the company who produced the music it takes a bigger toll on the musicians who worked so hard to bring it to you. According to smallbusiness.chron.com, financial loss and layoffs are two big effects of illegally downloading music. The RIAA reports that music sales in the United States have dropped 47 percent since Napster first debuted in 1999. The availability of free music has cost the music industry $12.5 billion in economic losses. To recoup some of these losses, the music industry has filed lawsuits against individuals who have been found to have illegally downloaded music. In some cases, individuals have been sued for thousands, if not
English 101
17 April 2013
Pirating music: More than a crime Do you enjoy music? The sound of your favorite band or musician? Do you buy the physical album or download off the internet? and if you do download it from the internet do you pay for it or just download? Downloading music is a crime in the U.S. it also is an injustice to the musicians who composed and performed the music. I will explain my reasoning by giving you why this is a crime, how it effects the musicians and what you can do to stop it. Music is a very large and important part of many people's live in today's world. Rock n roll, Rap, and Country are just a few of the many genre of music out there that many people enjoy. Most people see it easier to just get online and download the album without paying and never think twice but have you ever considered this is a crime and considered theft? According to RIAA.com the law states "Making unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings is against the law and may subject you to civil and criminal liability. A civil law suit could hold you responsible for thousands of dollars in damages. Criminal charges may leave you with a felony record, accompanied by up to five years of jail time and fines up to $250,000." This is a a serious offense and in more ways than this Just as pirating hurts the company who produced the music it takes a bigger toll on the musicians who worked so hard to bring it to you. According to smallbusiness.chron.com, financial loss and layoffs are two big effects of illegally downloading music. The RIAA reports that music sales in the United States have dropped 47 percent since Napster first debuted in 1999. The availability of free music has cost the music industry $12.5 billion in economic losses. To recoup some of these losses, the music industry has filed lawsuits against individuals who have been found to have illegally downloaded music. In some cases, individuals have been sued for thousands, if not