A-MEN!

Well, that's a rather simplistic way to think about this.

And, if this person is going to point out that the artists are making "pennies", are they not going to take their example a step further and show that by copying, you are taking those "pennies" out of the hands of the artists?

Comparing the copying of songs to the copying of a swing is insane.

When you are making a copy of a song, it is that song, not a "version" of the song. So, in reality, that "copied swing" is more like recording your own version of the song, or karaoke. When you copy a song, it is like going into the store and taking that "swing" without paying.

People can use this "Robin Hood" excuse all they wish, the fact is, they ARE stealing. Movies, music, money, it is all the same thing.

Make the people you are stealing from, seem like evil demons, and make yourself feel better. But the bottom line is this... YOU are not the artist. So, where your money goes, makes no difference in your actions. What if the artist got 100% of the earnings from recordings? Would your actions magically turn into a crime then? How would you justify your actions?

I don't particularly like Bill Gates... does that mean I should be able to go in and steal Windows? I think not. I don't particularly like IBM, does that mean I should be able to steal a laptop? I think not.

Look, I live in China, I download music and buy pirated DVD's constantly. I have my reasons (and far better reasons than most), but I don't try to project my wrongdoings onto others.

I'm not being hypocritical, I'm not saying "Don't do it", I am simply saying "Get a backbone and admit it is wrong to take something without paying for it." Hell, our parents taught us that a long time ago... let's give them credit, shall we?

On the one hand you insist that downloading a song is stealing (although I personally disagree), and on the other you admit that you do it all the time.

Given these facts, please explain how you consider what you are doing to be morally different from walking into a store, picking up a CD and intentionally leaving without paying.

Morally should not facor into this equation, as it will be entirely subjective; doubly so as the product is art. The fact is people will download and copy data that is stored electronically. You cannot depend on the end user to be honest, so you need to build in safe-guards to make sure you get your dues. The new business models such as iTunes and LaunchCast have proven successful. The RIAA is attempting to maintain a dying model.

That's about the most retarded analogy I've ever seen.

KaiEr the RIAA could also get a spine and start to change their business model to cope with new trends and new technologies like every other industry has done. Their idea of "copy protection" prevents me from even playing the music on my PC when the CD is in the drive. That really isn't copy protection. The video pointed out how the price fiing is illegal, do you really have any idea just *how* illegal it is. recently it cost several memory manufacturers 100s of millions of dollars. So why aren't the record lables facing similar charges?

If you want those who download music to admit they are criminals then surely you should also want the industry to admit it is also involved in illegal activities. You also seemed to miss the point of the example. The girl didn't download music at all. She copied some she already owned for herself (probably ripping some music of a CD to put onto an mp3 player)

Snake, if I can call you Snake

Hey, I never said it was not wrong, to the contrary, I am saying IT IS WRONG. I just cannot stand to hear things like this vid. Trying to justify being wrong, by vilifying where your money WOULD go AFTER you buy it, is meaningless.

People get upset about companies doing things all the time... they just don't use their products. They do not sit back and STEAL their products and claim to be justified.

Some guy does not like TEXACO and the way they do business. What does he do? He does not use TEXACO products. Fine, I understand and will support that person in his actions. However, to use the reasons he dislikes TEXACO, as an excuse to walk in and fill his car without paying? That's just re-tarded.

I don't claim to be morally right; I don't claim to be better than anyone. I am WRONG in downloading MP3's and buying pirated DVD's. While I think my excuse may be more VALID than "I do it because the companies are screwing the artists", I do not say I am "Right" in what I am doing. (I live in China; I blame the insane Chinese locked Yuan value. 99.9999% of everything here is pirated, even when you try to by the real stuff. It’s hard for a Chinese person to think about paying a few month’s salary for a CD. I hate to admit it, but piracy is my friend in China. It IS wrong.)

And COBOLT, let's be honest, we know exactly what they are talking about in this video. We are not talking about people sitting there making copies off of their own lawfully purchased CD's and being arrested.

But, again, my point is this... people should stop trying to use the age old playground logic of "Well HEEEEE did it!" to justify bad behavior. I don't care if the RIAA has midget slaves, pressing out CD's with their A$-$es while being prodded by those elephant trainers in a previous video. The definition of stealing does not change according to WHAT you are stealing.

I don't care too much for what George Bush does... I'm pretty sure my but-t would be in jail if I stole his car.