Should People Have the Right to Download Movies/Music Off the Net for Free?

Hello readers,

So, as you could see from the post title, the technology issue today is free downloading off the net. 

As most of us know, it's illegal to download protected works for free, and it's even more illegal to download protected works for free and then distribute copies. We can get heavily fined, or get put into jail, and its not too fun. But most of the time, if the people don't distribute, they don't get caught.

Of course. As a general statement about humanity, we have a tendency of taking advantage of easy situations, even if we can get in trouble. If you can get it for cheaper, why take what costs us a dollar more (even if the cheaper thing is *rubbish*)? 

Or even worse:

If I can get it for free, why pay?

Does that phrase ring a bell? 

Hmm...

It sounds a bit like something a thief would say, right?

The point is, downloading music, videos, movies, etc. that someone owns or sells off the internet is basically stealing from the person. But of course, so what? If one person does it, it isn't such a great deal.

Yeah, but it isn't just one person that does it. As the RIAA states, "While downloading one song may not feel that serious of a crime, the accumulative impact of millions of songs downloaded illegally – and without any compensation to all the people who helped to create that song and bring it to fans – is devastating."

The statistics also say that:

- From 1999 to 2009, the value of sales in the music industry has dropped 47%, from $14.6 billion USD to $7.7 billion USD
- From 2004 to 2009, approximately 30 billion songs were downloaded illegally
- In 2009, only 37% of the songs owned by people in the US was paid for
- 95% of all free downloads were ILLEGAL

What people don't realise, it's that their actions are costing people their jobs. People actually work in the industries that are getting stolen from, and they won't be able to make any money if the industry can't pay them because almost everyone is using their product without paying. 

It is unfair for people to take without paying. Downloading a song for free that isn't supposed to be free is stealing, and stealing is illegal.  So people shouldn't have the right to download stuff for free if they aren't meant to be free. It's against the law.