FEOS wrote:
Is there a law against downloading digital content off the internet? Yes.
Therefore, doing so is breaking the law.
Are you and a bunch of others here trying to rationalize/justify breaking said law? Yes.
There's no biting here. You're violating the law, plain and simple. Regardless of what you or I think of the law, it's still the law. And you broke it. And then you get all high and mighty in trying to justify/rationalize your breaking of the law, like you're actually doing a good thing.
You're not. You're just breaking the law.
Then to debate whether we are breaking the law or not is pointless.
Should we shift the discussion to the reasoning behind the laws, and arguments for and against having them? I'm against them. (Since I need to go study some uni stuff) I'll make it short and sweet.
The music industry is holding on to these arcane CD pushing values, and is ignoring the potential of using the internet/filesharing/video websites (ie. youtube) for marketing their products. I will NEVER just walk into a CD/music shop and buy a CD from an artist I've never heard of. I'd think something to that effect would be the norm. If however, I do like an artist.. sure, I will buy their stuff if I can.
Without filesharing, I would have never heard of any of these bands (just to name a few)..
![https://i38.tinypic.com/2q2l1za.jpg](https://i38.tinypic.com/2q2l1za.jpg)
I've got 30-40 CD's or music DVD's
because I've seen a track on youtube or torrented and album of the band. On the topic of youtube - when they remove the soundtrack for "copyright violations" that really shits me. They are just shooting themselves in the foot marketing wise. As a flash video.. the average user isn't going to download the video, rip the audio track and put it onto their mp3 player. Byebye free marketing.
Then of course come live shows and tours. For any of them, I will gladly go. I would sell a kidney to see Sonata Arctica (if they weren't coming here when I am overseas ><).
-
Putting the economics into question. Lets take the
Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro as an example. I heard their single "Mountains" on the radio a bit last year. Fucking loved it. With but a handful of lyrics, I managed to google the name of the song and eventually the band. At the local CD stores I was met with "... who?". No one had ever heard of them.
Wanting more, I torrented their album "Puzzle". Again, I fucking loved it.. so I went out of my way to find a place in Sydney that sold the album. While I was there, I got another of their albums.
Then they came to Sydney in march. I dragged a friend along. I also got a lot of my other friends into the band.
Now lets see.. the
cost of me torrenting the album was:
- the price I didn't pay for it = $20
The
benefit of me torrenting the album was:
- the price I bought it for = $20
- the price I bought the other album for = $20
- the price of the two tickets for their gig = $80
- and the price of the tickets to their future gigs here, which I will always try to see.
Net benefit to the band/industry is $100 (+whatever I pay for gigs in the future)--
Edit: I've added a link to Biffy Clyro's youtube page, as an example of a band that has embraced the use of the internet for marketing itself..