Illegal Song Downloading.

Sheepy:

They probably could have asked for copyright permissions (If I'm understanding you correctly), but it would have probably come at too high a financial cost for Limewire to be able to afford, given Limewire is something that millions used, and used on the whole for free. I'd imagine even if the RIAA get one percent of the amount of damages they're seeking it'll sink them completely.

Well what I meant by the copyright permissions is that when you upload the song it detects what song it is. (On the ringtone site) And in order to upload it for other people to use you had to say that you owned it and what not and there was some kind of something you had to go through to prove that you did own it. For example, I wanted to have "Stay" by Sugarland as a ringtone. I uploaded it to my account and it asked if I want to let other people use the ringtone that I was going to be making. I thought, 'Hey, sure..Why not?" And when I checked the "Okay" box it popped up that the song was copyrighted and could not be shared. It then let me make my ringtone and send it to my phone. And that was that.

^So in short, the website identified the song as copyrighted, and stopped you from uploading it for other people to use? That sounds similar to something Youtube has; you know they sometimes mute videos if they've found it contains copyrighted mp3's? Or offers you a link to iTunes to buy the mp3?

The RIAA would have issued some sort of "cease and desist" with regards to them slowing down or blocking the amount of copyright infringement going on with their program before they went to court about it. Limewire, seemingly, simply chose not to, or only managed to do something less effective than implementing some kind of detection software like that.

Though I can't help but wonder if the music industry would have been fine with Limewire if they'd been reimbursed a section of the Limewire ad revenue, like companies kinda do with Spotify...

Jewel Nicole:

That's true. Free music will always be available.

That's the same with drug dealings. You're never gonna stop illegal drug transactions, but you can track down the big dogs and take down a few of the dealers themselves. If anything, to keep the number of offences down.

No matter what, technology and so ways of illegally downloading files are always gonna develop faster than the law can keep up with. Doesn't mean to say the law should stop trying.

Sheepy:

After a four-year legal battle with the RIAA, Limewire has been shut down. A federal court in NY issued a permanent injunction to stop distributing and supporting its filesharing software. The RIAA says that they will still pursue legal action with regards to damages, in an effort to compensate affected labels. News article about it, The Limewire site currently.

Just Limewire? Really? Well, that's going nowhere. There are still plenty of other applications that run on the gnutella network. Now that Limewire's gone I suppose it's Frostwire's turn to shine.

The Common Dread:

That's the same with drug dealings. You're never gonna stop illegal drug transactions, but you can track down the big dogs and take down a few of the dealers themselves. If anything, to keep the number of offences down.

I wouldn't associate illegal drugs with illegal music. They're two completely different things. One is only illegal because of common "morals", whereas the other is cutting a hole in the capitalist system.

The Common Dread:

No matter what, technology and so ways of illegally downloading files are always gonna develop faster than the law can keep up with. Doesn't mean to say the law should stop trying.

I don't think it will develop more than it has, unless sometime soon someone is able to develop some kind of "super-Internet". The reason it's so hard to catch people doing it is because it's just not worth it to pursue legal action against everyone who has downloaded music illegally.

LEAF.:

I wouldn't associate illegal drugs with illegal music. They're two completely different things. One is only illegal because of common "morals", whereas the other is cutting a hole in the capitalist system.

Which one is illegal because of common morals?
I'm going with illegal downloading, but I'm not sure which one you're referring to.

sunflowers.:

Which one is illegal because of common morals?
I'm going with illegal downloading, but I'm not sure which one you're referring to.

I think drugs is illegal because of "common morals" because it's generally believed that keeping people from ruining their lives/getting very sick/dying is moral.

kafka.:

I think drugs is illegal because of "common morals" because it's generally believed that keeping people from ruining their lives/getting very sick/dying is moral.

But...stealing on the other hand is perfectly moral?

sunflowers.:

Which one is illegal because of common morals?
I'm going with illegal downloading, but I'm not sure which one you're referring to.

So, common morals are the only reason illegally downloading is bad? The bands and record companies loosing money is just an afterthought?

sunflowers.:

But...stealing on the other hand is perfectly moral?

The theft of intellectual property is in a completely different league both legally and morally than store robbery and shop lifting, despite you vehemently trying to jam them in the same group.

Xsoteria:

The theft of intellectual property is in a completely different league both legally and morally than store robbery and shop lifting, despite you vehemently trying to jam them in the same group.

Exactly, the notion that intellectual theft is even possible is a pretty recent one and only came about around the mid 18th century, if I'm not mistaken.

Xsoteria:

The theft of intellectual property is in a completely different league both legally and morally than store robbery and shop lifting, despite you vehemently trying to jam them in the same group.

I wasn't referring to robbery or shoplifting was i?
I was making the point that I was confused as to why taking drugs was so morally wrong, yet illegally downloading wasn't.

LEAF.:

So, common morals are the only reason illegally downloading is bad? The bands and record companies loosing money is just an afterthought?

Common morals in the sense that you are stealing, therefore taking money that is rightfully the record company's/bands. For me the fact that they are losing money is part of the reason it's morally wrong.

sunflowers., let me try to reiterate what I said.

Taking drugs is only morally wrong, weras illegally downloading music, while it is also considered to be morally wrong, it also has many other things attached to it.

Drugs can be simplified, and when it boils down to it, the whole war on drugs is just a complete waste of time and money. Attempting to track down and fine people who illegally download music is another case entirely.

^ How is taking drugs only morally wrong? It's also incredibly bad for your health… and what other thing does illegal downloading have attached to it?

LEAF.:

sunflowers., let me try to reiterate what I said.

Taking drugs is only morally wrong, weras illegally downloading music, while it is also considered to be morally wrong, it also has many other things attached to it.

Drugs can be simplified, and when it boils down to it, the whole war on drugs is just a complete waste of time and money. Attempting to track down and fine people who illegally download music is another case entirely.

Drugs are also seriously harmful to health and the use/dealing of drugs support an industry which is known to be violent and corrupt, so there are many things attached to that as well I guess.

On a different note, I've never really understood why it's that hard to track down people who illegally download music and other files. Like, surely you can track via limewire, frostwire etc. which computer has accessed this file? :/

^ You could, but it would be a violation of privacy.

loverfayce.:

^ How is taking drugs only morally wrong? It's also incredibly bad for your health… and what other thing does illegal downloading have attached to it?

Which is the main reason it's morally wrong. Why are illegal drugs illegal? Because they're bad for you.

sunflowers.:

Drugs are also seriously harmful to health and the use/dealing of drugs support an industry which is known to be violent and corrupt, so there are many things attached to that as well I guess.

Not unlike any government or economic monopoly. If drugs were legalized then taxes could be placed on them, and regulations can be put in place to make it's trade safer.

This isn't the topic for talking about that, though, so, back to the topic at hand...

sunflowers.:

On a different note, I've never really understood why it's that hard to track down people who illegally download music and other files. Like, surely you can track via limewire, frostwire etc. which computer has accessed this file? :/

It's just not that simple, and unfortunately the methods to go about doing that are also illegal.

LEAF.:

Which is the main reason it's morally wrong. Why are illegal drugs illegal? Because they're bad for you.

I think you may have the wrong definition of "morally," because what you're describing isn't morally wrong at all, just deteriorating to your health. Drugs aren't illegal because they're morally wrong. Stealing isn't illegal because of morals, either, it's illegal because one person doesn't get compensation for what belongs to them and the other person gets to reap the benefits for free. If laws were based on morals, there'd be laws against swearing and sex before marriage.

loverfayce.:

I think you may have the wrong definition of "morally," because what you're describing isn't morally wrong at all, just deteriorating to your health. Drugs aren't illegal because they're morally wrong. Stealing isn't illegal because of morals, either, it's illegal because one person doesn't get compensation for what belongs to them and the other person gets to reap the benefits for free. If laws were based on morals, there'd be laws against swearing and sex before marriage.

Drugs are commonly associated with morals though. Yes, they just deteriorate your health, but what if you had a drug problem and people you knew put together an intervention? People are opposed to drugs because they believe they are immoral, and they are believed to be immoral because they deteroiate your health.

Illegally downloading music can carry immorality with it, but what I said before was in agreement with what you are saying, that stealing, taking from the artist without paying is the main effect that comes with it.

^ I'm sorry, but I'm still failing to see how drug use is immoral or how that example relates in any way to illegal downloading. I think we're getting a bit off-topic, in any case.

I'm proud to say that I haven't downloaded illegal songs in a year. I used to be all for illegal downloading, but since then I've found it to be wrong. I'm for actually supporting my favorite bands. I just find it wrong to steal songs anyways, seeing as how it's illegal and all.