Is it wrong to download music and videos online?

This week in the lecture we were questioned as to whether we though it was wrong to download free music and videos, despite the laws of copyright against it. Many of the class were pro download, stating that although it is wrong, as long as the material for copying is available then they find nothing wrong with the use and download of illegal copying. I am against this though as mass illegal production of artists work reduces their income. Admittadly though I would be lying if i said that i had not pirated an artists work, but not from a mass copying online theft. I have been to the video store and payed to borrow a film and if it has been any good I have copied a version for my own use. Or I have bought a CD and copyied one for a friend. This though is not on a mass scale as I have payed the video store money to borrow the film and i am making a copy for my own purpose and nobody elses, the same goes for the CD. I have payed the money for it and given someone a copy. There comes a point in time when it can become a problem though. If I was to copy things as a mass copying then this is where the artist beings to lose on income of their work. I think that downloading on the internet could work if there was still a payment made. An example of this would be that you could get a downloaded copy of something with less quality and most of the payments being made would go directly to the artist so as they are not being completely exploited .

We watched a short film on Youtube, Cocaine Jesus. It shows that anyone can make a short film on short budget and load it to a page that can be viewed by anyone. After this we watched Steal this Film, a documentary that is made on views and opinions and the rights and wrongs of copyright theft. The documentary as stated in its opening credits is free to download and watch but within reason. There are still certain restrictions. This is an example of Open source as seen in next week's course content.

Reading: When Pigs Fly:The death of oink, the birth of dissent, and a brief history of record industry suicide

The issue of music and video piracy is a difficult issue to be adressed. The companies supporting the musicians and actors are drowning in money and the people who want to buy their work are poor and the internet provides their work for free. Does this mean we are 'entitled' to their work? Are we entitled to it because someone is offering it for the taking so therefore we have the rights? If everone else is getting it for free why can't we? The masses began downloading in masses and the distributing companies and artists involved in production were losing out on their profits. Where has the generation that wants countless CDs and DVDs in their home collections. The technology generation is not phased by only having copies of their movies and music on their computer hardrive.