File Sharing

Author:  Susan L. Prince

I went to the library a couple weeks ago. I brought home a book and I loved it! It was an awesome read so I decided I wanted to share it with friends. I went to Kinko's and made 5 copies of the book. It was a short book so it didn't cost me much in paper. It saved me the cost of the book for sure!

The above statement is not a true story. I made it up.

I just read in USA Today an article about file sharing. It was an article that had college students giving their opinions about downloading and sharing music files. Most don't see it as theft or that it is a problem.

"This is exactly like going to the library. Do I have to pay to check out a book? I'm just listening to the song, not selling it." said one student. I thought about that for a minute. I thought maybe he had a point. But, after considering it for a moment I realized that if you download a song, you can listen to it as often as you want and keep it for as long as you want. You do have to return library books. So, maybe downloading wouldn't be a huge problem if after a week the file would self-destruct or something. So, I do not think it is like going to the library and checking out a book.

Also, some don't see a problem with copying the song and making entire CDs to share with friends. This was the point I was making with my story at the top of this entry. It is wrong to download a song and not support the artist who created it. I really can't see it as anything but stealing.

I run a CD store. I guess that means I have a bias because file sharing means lost business to me, but I do see a larger picture. People who steal CD's out of my store are prosecuted for theft. They have stolen music. Professional theives steal CDs and movies and then sell them on the streets. When they are caught, they are prosecuted for theft and sale of stolen merchanidise. Let's say they don't sell it, but instead, opt to give the CD's and movies away to friends. The fact that they stole the goods to begin with is still wrong!

I have copied music from CDs to cassette tape so I could listen in my car when all I had was a cassette player. I had purchased the music and copied it for my own enjoyment. I don't see this as the same issue. Now, if I had purchased the CD and then taped it for all my friends, I am basically creating lost sales of that particular CD.

I am most bothered that many people do not see file sharing as theft. I just can't understand that.
Another thing I can't understand is not having the cover art, or the liner notes, along with a CD/recording. It may be simply that I grew up in a different generation. I remember buying that new album and tearing off the cellophane wrapper and pulling out my new record. I'd place it on the turntable to give it its first spin and while it played, I examined the details of the cover art. I read every lyric (when provided) every song's credits, the thank-you's, the list of producers, songwriters, and anything else listed on there. I still do that with my CDs. To me, its part of the art. It's part of music.

I will listen to music online. I think it is a great way for artists to allow people to hear what they sound like, especially for new artists. New artists, and independents, have a great way to reach the masses by simply making available their music online, when otherwise, they would never be heard of. This is a good usage of putting files online.

Here's another story, it's true. Like I mentioned, I run a CD store. I work around the Memphis region and therefore many regional artists will come into my store hoping to get their CD in stock and have it sell. One group pushed hard and I kept having customers ask for their particular CD. When it got close to the release date, I made sure I'd have it in stock. Sale day came and sold just a couple copies. Most everyone else came in and just wanted to see it in stock. "They are friends of mine", or "I know so and so from the group" or "my first cousin is friends of the brother of one of the guys in the group." Anyway, people would say "I already got a copy from so and so from the group." Eventually I came to find out that the groups members had passed out promotional copies to their families and friends. What did those family members and friends do? They burned copies and gave them out to their families and friends. As a result, sales were minimal. The guys kept checking in and I explained that they gave away too many copies. Next time, "we aren't gonna do that!". I was disappointed for them, but I was disturbed that upon the release of their first CD family members and friends didn't support the guys by buying the product! There is something wrong with that picture.