Do you feel guilty downloading songs from the Net?

[nwdavis]

I never really felt guilty, but I don't do it anymore. One of my friends got sued for that and is still fighting the battle. I usually just go to the Walmart downloads for .88 per song. I don't get that many, but it's nice to have the ability when I want a certain song.

I've often wondered if anyone was actually getting in trouble for downloading. What was the final judgement and punishment for your friend?

I actually changed careers because of all the downloading of music. I used to be a sales rep and then district manager for a music distribution company. Their sales plummeted once Napster became the hot new way to get music for free. Stores can not survive if all they sell is music. Tower records was sold to a clearing house to sell out all their inventory. They are history! Warehouse Music is next.

I stopped downloading them for free after I had to completely format my computer three times!!! I do buy them from V-cast through Verizon Wireless for only 99 cents. I can burn them to a disc or have them on my phone.

 

[just_mills]

Do I feel guilty?! No..
I download Music, Films, Programs etc. daily..

No bother off my shoulders..

 

[Drops of Jupiter]

Downloading music is still legal in Canada. Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't feel bad.

Studies have shown that users who download music actually purchase more of it legally than other people who don't illegally download.

Right on. And with all the money I have spent on albums, tapes, CDs and concerts in the past - I don't feel the least bit guilty.

 

[rotary]

Right on. And with all the money I have spent on albums, tapes, CDs and concerts in the past - I don't feel the least bit guilty.

True. And we canucks pay an extra fee on all blank media like CD-RW's, that is payed out to copyright owners and unions for the lost income on CD sales. So we have nothing to feel guilty about at all.

 

[Tongue_Me]

Not until all of my songs got wiped off my Itunes Library after my computer crashed, therefore, what goes around comes around.

 

[Buffellow]

I did a lot of downloading of songs before DRM. I didn't know it was a no no at that time. Now I too try to get the remixes that you can't buy. Now I am hooked on video clips. The other day I hit on a clip from Sharpshooter Studios (Muscle Manhunt). I liked it so much, (even if it is softcore), I went out and got some other videos from them. They are hard to find in my area, so I guess I will have to go via the net. They got a customer because I saw and liked the clip. They are different from the run of the mill porn.

 

[me12121]

I only download from iTunes or eMusic, so I pay for it.

So no.

eMusic is good. One of the few companies who doesn't use DRM. iTunes, not so much. I don't want to be stuck playing a song only on iTunes or my iPod. Well there is the burning a CD and reripping to get around that, but who wants to do that?

 

[me12121]

Not until all of my songs got wiped off my Itunes Library after my computer crashed, therefore, what goes around comes around.

If you bought those songs, you should contact Apple. I heard on a couple tech shows that they will let you redownload them once, if you beg them.

 

[levenshulme31]

I download occasionally, odd tracks here and there or obscure stuff that isn't available in the shops anyway (live cover versions, etc), I'm not a huge music collector so I don't buy much stuff anyway.

Downloading is a great way to find new stuff you wouldn't normally try. For example, a few years ago a friend gave me a bootleg copy of a couple of Ben Folds Five tracks on a mix tape. I had never heard of them. I have since bought every CD they have put out and paid to see them live 5 times.

I do sympathise with artists at the lower end of the scale struggling to make a living (they can now get screwed directly by the fans rather than their management), but the music industry in general I could care less for.

How much money do the likes of Sony make from selling the computers, cd burners and blank cds which make it possible for us to steal their music?

 

[Franion]

Nope - I buy cds (by the truckload).

Heh heh - I am in China, where a double CD is the same price as a happy meal.

 

[Tigryto]

Never.....

 

[blooeyz]

I feel a little guilty. I use Bearshare
I tried Walmart, but then you can only make so many copies.
I think it is only illegal if you let someone download from you (you share).
But it is perfectly fine if you download from someone else.

 

[MCsNo1Fn]

I feel a little guilty. I use Bearshare
I tried Walmart, but then you can only make so many copies.
I think it is only illegal if you let someone download from you (you share).
But it is perfectly fine if you download from someone else.

It's illegal any way you slice the pie.

 

[blackbeltninja]

^As I understand it, though, there's not much they can do to you if you have downloaded material.

However, they can flay you for sharing... I guess it's kinda buying stolen goods (which you can plead ignorance on) vs selling stolen goods.

-d-

 

[BrandonSBCA]

^As I understand it, though, there's not much they can do to you if you have downloaded material.

However, they can flay you for sharing... I guess it's kinda buying stolen goods (which you can plead ignorance on) vs selling stolen goods.

-d-

I agree its been proven that if you SHARE music and albums your ass is grass, but if you download it, they really can't do anything.

 

[belamy]

I wish it was that easy for me to find the music I really enjoy...

 

[Oogleman]

not at all.

 

[sb]

no i don't. I spend heaps on music so I see no problem with me occassionally getting a few freebies.

 

[Paws]

Yes, a bit. Because I mostly download things from rather unknown musicians that I would like to support, but I can't find an online shop that has tracks of them or where I can pay without credit card.

 

[treanir]

It's illegal any way you slice the pie.

Depends on where you live. In the Netherlands (and I believe France as well), downloading is not illegal, but uploading is.