By Avvie Yvonne Reyes
(Photo via Afro-IP)
Nowadays, it has been easy
to download and upload music through the internet. Unlike before, music lovers
had to buy album CDs just to listen to their favorite artists’ songs. How did
this happen?
According to Ashley Mackenzie, Internet made it very convenient for everyone and here
started the temptation of downloading music files.It has affected the music
industry and led several lawsuits.
Ithas been a practice to everyone including you and I because
we think not to buy the expensive one, and prefer for the FREE one. Did you
know that downloading music from the internet is illegal? You may already have
an idea about it or you may just have known it today.
How
come downloading is illegal? How come it is part of Music Piracy?
Yes! Downloading for free!
But this is illegal! Wait! What?
“Music piracy is the distribution of copies of pieces of
music.” Internet has made it easy to distribute pieces of music through copying
the original track then uploading it in a website where many can download it for
free.
In America,There is an argument between Napster and Kid Rock. According to
Napster (advocated for free music download )“It was not wrong if the downloaders made no profit from the
music”.Andthat according to Kid Rock “downloading music without paying for it is theft and should
be penalized.”Napster side has failed( Ashley Mackenzie, eHow Contributor 2013)
What
does OPM say about Music Piracy?
“We are aware that for every
illegal downloading of music or purchasing or pirated albums,artists are the
ones who get hit primarily,” - OPM
(Original Pilipino Music)
Yes of course, it is a butt
hurt especially for the artists. It is so costly to release album CDs! It is a
lost for the music industry and the artists when we don’t even patronize.
Consequences
for illegal downloading
According to
Copy Right Law Section 172. Literary and artistic works – 172.1 Literary and
artistic works, here in after referred to us ”works”, are original intellectual
creations and the literary and artistic domain protected from the moment of
their creation. This means, Music and movies for example are protected from the
moment of their creation, which are frequently subject of illegal downloads.They
are entitled to be safe guarded to ensure the healthy competition to the
market.
Penalties Can Add Up
Just
because a lot of people do it doesn’t mean it’s legal. Penalties vary per
country and the price to pay isn’t worth an illegal download. It’s more safe to
pay a bit than to pay a lifetime. An example of such penalty in the United
States :
Don't
let out a sigh of relief just yet, though. Just because time in the slammer can
usually be avoided for illegally downloading doesn't mean that you won't be
paying a pretty penny for your illegal acts.
Under federal copyright law, the damages
that you may owe can range from $750 to $30,000 per work. So if you illegally download,
say, 10 songs -- doesn't seem that offensive, right? Think again, because the
penalty for that can be as much as $300,000.
Furthermore,
this is only according to statute. Courts may find that, depending on the
specific facts of your case, you should be penalized even more harshly and be
fined more. For example, a 32-year-old woman
from Minnesota was found guilty
of downloading 24 songs and fined $80,000 per song, for a total of $1.9 million,
according to CNN.
Patronize
Downloading has changed the
traditional way of purchasing music ButBuying
the original is being fair. Being fair is a benefit of you and the artist.Buying
the original album in the internet or the album CD in the storewould be fun.
Seeing your favorite artist in that CD case, that free poster in it, the smell
of your newly bought CD! Woahh!nothing can compare with it! And a CD collection!
With the chance of having their signatures with it on their live concerts!
We are aware, we just lack
with the motivation within ourselves. Everything has done by the authorities
and the community for us to support the original Filipino music. We need to try
to open our eyes, and look for the betterment of the music industry and
musicians.
Support OPM by not just
listening to FilipinoMusic but also by doing the right thing.
Tangkilinangsarilingatin ngnasa
tama!
tessalonicamanansala.blogspot.com/2012/09/re/downloading/in/philippiness_16.html
