Illegal downloads: music to movies

Hannah Martin, Issue 9, Opinion - By Hannah Martin on Thursday, November 4, 2010 - 02:08

The most recent online controversy has been the termination of one of the top free files sharing programs on the internet, Limewire.

Many are in uproar at being denied media they could once get for free, but this does not need to affect illegal downloaders. There are still plenty of sites to get free downloads from, such as Rapidshare or Mediafire. These are much safer alternatives to Limewire, which was laced with viruses.

When staring at the 10 gigabytes of music they are downloading illegally, music fans will be excited to listen to their new additions.

And after getting away with downloads for so many years, one loses the fear, regret and guilt that comes with not paying for one’s music. When habits build, one forgets the consequences.

Downloading music without purchase may be illegal, but it is not on the same level as other crimes. It is something done outside the public eye. Illegal downloading does not just apply to music; there are sites that provide movie downloads as well.

The way I see it, the movie industry makes millions already, so why feel bad about torrenting movies? Take a look at box office charts, there is not exactly a deficit of people willing to go to the theaters or purchase the movies.

According to The Christian Science Monitor (csmonitor.com) a report done in 2007 concluded that college students attained two thirds of their music illegally.

From my discussions with other Whittier students, I can conclude that students who are involved in downloading ventures are not alone. Almost everyone I have come in contact with has at one point mentioned torrenting a movie or downloading a song illegally.

Whittier is not strict about these things like some other colleges are, so there is nothing to stop students. Many do it without even being conscious of the moral issues that come with it. Many receive these illegal albums and movies without knowing how exactly how they were obtained or even caring.

Money is not the only issue here. Some people download products that are simply unavailable for purchase, such as rare band demos or live recordings.

It is something that many do not even consider as law-breaking, such as underage drinking.

Regardless, no one should have to worry about being targeted for illegal downloading; authorities are solely focused on targeting the sites that provide the downloads.

For now, the steady stream of illegal media continues to flow.