Do you have music on your computer that you didn't pay for?

[doctorcoug]

Do you think it is OK to download songs via things like bit torrent?

I aske because with the Tenebaum trial it seems kind of a hot topic. I'm just curious to know what normal blokes think about DRM.

[I.J. Reilly]

I don't currently have music on my computer that I didn't pay for. I used file sharing back in the day with Napster all the way through to BearShare but for whatever reason I've given up on it now. I used to use it a lot to download music I wasn't familiar with and then kinda see if I wanted to buy the cd or not. I genuinely would buy the cd if I liked the music (with the exception of one hit wonder type of stuff) and it was a great way for me to hear music I never would have had a chance to hear without buying the cd first.

Now there are a bunch of other ways for me to find that music and give it a listen, but I also don't search out new stuff nearly as much as I used to, fwiw.

[TripletDaddy]

Why do I have the feeling you won't get many answers in the affirmative?

People generally don't enjoy leaving an e-trail for RIAA to find them.

[BoylenOver]

I use limewire. For the last year or so, though, the bands/songs I've wanted were scarce there, so I just bought them.

[creekster]

This is a great idea for a thread. Maybe we could start a new forum "Illegal things I am doing right now for which I could be sued or arrested."

[The_Tick]

I don't:

Download music illegally
Download movies illegally
Download software illegally

It is all stealing whether you agree with it or not. Microsoft office is probably overpriced at 200.00. But that doesn't justify stealing it.

I also don't borrow software from family/friends to install on my computer either. That is also stealing.

People should be paid for what they do.

[Non Sequitur]

I don't download but I do record the streams from Pandora. I have about 15GB worth of MP3's that I've acquired in that manner. Not sure if that's illegal.

[falafel]

I always:

Download music illegally
Download movies illegally
Download software illegally

It is all free for me whether you agree with it or not. Microsoft office is certainly overpriced at 200.00. But that doesn't mean I'm above stealing it.

I also don't borrow software from family/friends to install on my computer either. Its much easier to download my own copy illegally.

People should be paid for what they do. Just don't ask me to do it.

You've got problems, man.

[ERCougar]

I don't:

Download music illegally
Download movies illegally
Download software illegally

It is all stealing whether you agree with it or not. Microsoft office is probably overpriced at 200.00. But that doesn't justify stealing it.

I also don't borrow software from family/friends to install on my computer either. That is also stealing.

People should be paid for what they do.

I'm with you, Tick. I downloaded some in med school, rationalizing that there wasn't a market for individual songs. Now that there is, I don't have an excuse.

I'm kind of curious to hear people defend why this isn't stealing.

[falafel]

this isn't a rationalization, but remember when if you wanted a tape that your friend had, you just dubbed it from him? Or copied songs off the radio. Or made a copy of a VHS tape. That's stealing the same as downloading songs and movies is today, but I don't remember anyone up in arms about that - both record companies and individuals. I'm sure part of it is that its so much more wide spread today (or at least, it appears to be). Of course, I was a kid in the 80s, so I probably wouldn't have heard anything on the news if there were lawsuits against people for dubbing tapes.

[falafel]

I'm kind of curious to hear people defend why this isn't stealing.

I think a lot of people think its not stealing b/c you're not taking it directly from the vendor/artist w/o paying for it. Its more like you're receiving stolen goods. Someone else stole it and you've just taken advantage of their crime.

(NOTE: I'm not actually advocating this as acceptable behavior).

[woot]

Regardless of how one feels about it, by definition it isn't stealing, it's copyright infringement. That's a pretty important distinction. I'm not trying to justify it or say that this fact makes it any better, but unless we grossly alter the definition of the word, it's not stealing. The RIAA agrees, although you wouldn't know it from their commercials.

[Katy Lied]

I genuinely would buy the cd if I liked the music (with the exception of one hit wonder type of stuff)

Soooo, 98% probability you have an illegal copy of Dexy's Midnight Runners' Come On Eileen?

[falafel]

Regardless of how one feels about it, by definition it isn't stealing, it's copyright infringement. That's a pretty important distinction. I'm not trying to justify it or say that this fact makes it any better, but unless we grossly alter the definition of the word, it's not stealing. The RIAA agrees, although you wouldn't know it from their commercials.

Take that ERCougar and doctorcoug! Leave this issue to lawyercoug and counselorcoug

[I.J. Reilly]

Soooo, 98% probability you have an illegal copy of Dexy's Midnight Runners' Come On Eileen?

You can take that 98% and bump it right up to 100% I also had "Mickey" "I Want Candy" "Hot, Hot, Hot" "I Wanna Be Rich" "Walkin' in Memphis" "I"m Too Sexy" "What Is Love" "Breakfast at Tiffanys" "Love Fool" "How Bizzare" "The Freshman" "Bitter Sweet Symphony" "Po Folks" and probably a couple dozen more.