Christian teens stealing music

Denton Record-Chronicle ^ | 17 April 2004 | The Associated Press

[MegaSilver]

It is true that a photocopy is not available to millions of people like an mp3, but still, if the act of copying an mp3 is immoral and illegal, so is the act of doing the same to a book. And I could put up online in a file-sharing client a chapter of a book for people to look at and evaluate for personal purposes of whether they wanted to buy the book. I highly doubt anybody's panties would get in a bunch for this, but somehow it does for file sharing.

*sucks in a deep breath*

Okay, here goes.

Each song on an album is copyrighted individually. Each chapter of a book is not. The book is copyrighted as a singular entity.

[MegaSilver]

How about Christian gangsta rap?

I've heard it does exist...

[Snuffington]

It's whatever legislators decide it is. Theft of intellectual property sounds right to me. And, if suing these miscreants will stop the practice, and recover some lost royalties for the artists, that's icing on the cake.

Please. That has exactly what price-tag? What practicality? What chance of success?

And if you're to be an absolutist on this issue... what about abortion? Gut check time before proceeding. Silence about the one means what about the other?

You should not, as a moral person, transmit it on any medium. It is not yours to transmit. If you bought the song, you can duplicate it for your own personal use.

Can I hum it? Can I teach someone else to sing it? These also used to be against the law for certain songs. And I contend that such restrictions are nonsense.

Your lot strives to hold in the air itself. You can't succeed. And the effort could be put to better use.

[liberallarry]

Where does it say that in the Bible?

You don't need to know the Bible to know theft.

[MegaSilver]

As is reproducing any commercially copyrighted intellectual property, in full.

What if I make a copy of something I bought for personal use? Say, I buy a CD and make a copy so that I have one for the car? I don't think that's illegal.

[rwfromkansas]

Not me. It is good to know that though my Christian college professors scream at us downloaders that we are "stealing," most college students on Christian campuses apparently have enough intellect to understand that stealing is the RIAA raping the artists and that there is nothing wrong with listening to an inferior copy.....a copy that is not the original. Stealing is when you take something. It is not stealing to listen to an inferior copy that somebody ELSE besides the company made. The inferior copy is not the real product, not even a good imitation with breaks in sound and poor quality.

As the thread originator is fond of pointing out, songs are copyrighted individually. True. But, this distinction only changes the equation legally, not morally. It is not legally immoral to download a couple songs off an album when you have no other option to get just those songs.

[MegaSilver]

Can I hum it? Can I teach someone else to sing it? These also used to be against the law for certain songs. And I contend that such restrictions are nonsense.

There is a clear difference between a SONG and a RECORDING.

[sinkspur]

And if you're to be an absolutist on this issue... what about abortion? Gut check time before proceeding. Silence about the one means what about the other?

I absolutely do not know what the hell you're talking about here.

You are splitting hairs, Snuffington, in an effort to justify your own (likely) illegal behavior.

If you download music illegally, why not admit it?

[Choose Ye This Day]

You've GOT to be kidding me. Gangsta???

How can you talk about pimpin' and smoking chronic and killing cops and beating your woman, and at the same time talk about pearly gates, etc?

[PurVirgo]

that is a good point.

I personally don't do it as much as I used to, and I believe we are about the same age, so we pretty much came across file sharing at the same time.

*shrugs* I still go out and buy CDs from my favorite artists. What I do is download a couple other songs from the album, and if I still like it, I go out and buy.

If the other songs suck, I don't buy. I delete the songs, and go on about my business.

I dunno, in my opinion, it would be wrong for me to sell burned CDs. But to make a custom CD of some of my favorite songs isn't hurting anything.

To me, what I do is no different from borrowing a friend's CD to see if I like it. Again, if I do, I go out and buy.

Otherwise, it's no love (and $15) lost.

You can try on clothes before you buy them. Why not music?

[rwfromkansas]

Well then Mega, DON'T BUY PIRATED CD'S so if you do buy a CD, your money goes to those people.

But, since you are not buying a CD when you share music, just an inferior, watered-down copy of an mp3 or two, your argument here fails. You are buying an inherently different medium, not one the people created, but instead somebody else made to share music with others.

And, studies show, downloading leads to buying MORE, not less, CD's.

[Snuffington]

Dude... take off your tin foil hat, okay? I'm starting to worry about you.

Heh, heh. Fair enough. I was definitely kidding.

But I wish more conservatives would wonder why the patent for a life-saving anti-cancer drug will stand for less than 1/3 the time Christina Aguilara will hold exclusive rights to her "songs." These things are set arbitrarily by law. Not absolutely by God. Yet they're seemingly not defended that way.

[MegaSilver]

It is good to know that though my Christian college professors scream at us downloaders that we are "stealing," most college students on Christian campuses apparently have enough intellect to understand that stealing is the RIAA raping the artists

My neighbor's an ugly jerk with too much money and he yells at his kids. Can I take his Porsche?

The inferior copy is not the real product, not even a good imitation with breaks in sound and poor quality.

That depends. You get CD quality with 192 kbps and CD or near-CD quality with 128 kbps MP3 (depending on the codec).

As the thread originator is fond of pointing out, songs are copyrighted individually. True. But, this distinction only changes the equation legally, not morally. It is not legally immoral to download a couple songs off an album when you have no other option to get just those songs.

True. That argument is fast-fading, though, because it is becoming easier and easier to find legitimate copies of songs individually.

[rwfromkansas]

I would hope that the Christian singers would want the Gospel spread. I guess not. How hypocritical of them to condemn file-sharing their songs...

[Chewbacca]

Is it stealing music if you copy music broadcast on the radio?

[MegaSilver]

But I wish more conservatives would wonder why the patent for a life-saving anti-cancer drug will stand for less than 1/3 the time Christina Aguilara will hold exclusive rights to her "songs." These things are set arbitrarily by law. Not absolutely by God. Yet they're seemingly not defended that way.

I'll grant you that. On the other hand, if we pick and choose which laws or social codes we like to consider "frivolous," we get the mess that is our modern society. People these days have no respect for basic rules of decency, etiquette, or (most irritating to me) grammar.

[MegaSilver]

Well then Mega, DON'T BUY PIRATED CD'S so if you do buy a CD, your money goes to those people.

Yes, exactly.

But, since you are not buying a CD when you share music, just an inferior, watered-down copy of an mp3 or two, your argument here fails. You are buying an inherently different medium, not one the people created, but instead somebody else made to share music with others.

Wrong. A 192 kbps MP3 is CD quality and can easily be decompressed and burned onto a CD.

[MegaSilver]

You can try on clothes before you buy them. Why not music?

I don't see anythng morally wrong with that. Just keep in mind that legally, you won't have any defense, and that it would be impossible to write that into the law.

[MetalHeadConservative35]

I don't think that's the issue. It's the Christian kids that are stealing the music.

either way,i think that christian music companies should relax,if there trying to spread the gospel,any means of doing so should be welcomed,(im not overly christian anymore but i still hold christians in high regard despite past experiences)

[MegaSilver]

How can you talk about pimpin' and smoking chronic and killing cops and beating your woman, and at the same time talk about pearly gates, etc?

Well, the SUBJECT matter was different, but the beat, style, and meter were the same.