[eno_]

It may kill recorded music. More accurately, it will kill the current system of providing recorded music. Is that good, or bad? Recorded music killed live music. Was music better, or worse, when it was delivered live? Unlike the Vth, which protects real property, the patent and copyright clause provides only temporary protection for the purpose of expanding the number of works in the public domain. It is anti-Constitutional to protect works in perpetuity, or to otherwise thwart the process of adding to the public domain. If current laws are a perversion of that intent, they are neither legitimate nor are they likely to actually meet the stated goals of the patent and copyright clause. In this case, the modern notion that music == recorded music, that intellectual property == real property, and that ownership should be perpetual (but not taxed like real property) is all very foriegn to original intent. Saying that music downloads are like theft of a physical object is, in that context, dubious.

[quebecois]

I'm am somewhat conflicted over file sharing. While I understand the industry's complaints, I have a hard time feeling sorry for them.

They have spent the last few decades getting fabulously rich making music that has no other redeeming value than the fact that it mocks traditional values, attracts clueless teens to buy it, and corrupts them in the process.

Also, most of the folks in the music and film industries are raving liberals/socialists. I remember during Hillary's health care insurance scheme debate, numerous film and recording stars were supporting her (and the industries overwhelmingly donated support to the Clinton's). Now, as a physician, I'm offended by the fact that these folks seem to think that its OK for the govt to steal the product of my labor, but its an outrageous violation of intellectual property rights for teens to swap MP3s.

I think that file sharing may well destroy the recording and movie industries as we know them. But I'll mostly say "good riddance". They have corrupted american youth and mocked our nation's cultural and moral values for a long long time. I think that america was better off before the advent of modern youth culture and will be better off after its gone.