Illegal Downloading “is” Stealing
With the popularity of the Internet, sales for CDs, DVDs, Movies, and many other
products have increased. Along with the increase of sales has brought forth an ever
increasing problem of illegal media being downloaded. Programs such as Bittorent, Kazaa,
and other direct-connect networking programs have allowed the transferring of such illegal
media. Downloading song files from the Internet over a free peer to peer network is the
moral equivalent of shoplifting music CDs from the local mall.
When you download any illegal media you are getting something for free that everyone
else is required to pay a fee for. DVDs and CDs that cost others anywhere from 15 dollars
to 60 dollars or more are being distributed for free as long as you have a download client.
If you have programs such as Bittorent or Kazaa, you only have to find someone that
already has the media on their computer, in which they either paid for the copies or they
too downloaded the media illegally from someone else. On most of the “real” media (the
cases), it states that you are not to distribute or copy the material because it is an illegal
act, and you will be punished if caught.
Not only is downloading this media illegal, it is also morally wrong. It is our responsibility
to know the difference between right and wrong – downloading this media is something
that shouldnt be done. The artists that create the CDs pay a lot of money to make the CDs
for our pleasure, and in return they expect everyone to pay for their CDs (its how they
