Downloading Music
For a few years, it probably felt like you had a special secret: you could download music for free from the Internet. Now, the record industry has uncovered the “secret” of illegal downloading, shared by you and millions of others, and it is not happy. Fortunately, if you know where to go, you can avoid getting sued and still find plenty of music online. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.
Expand All Guide SectionsWhat is Illegal Music Downloading?
The film “Empire Records” might give you the impression that stealing music can lead to a job at a hip record store. But these days, if stealing music leads to a job, you’ll be spending most of your salary on fines owed to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Protect yourself by learning the ins and outs of illegal downloading.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Don’t think you can get away with it: the RIAA is suing regular people like you over illegal file sharing. To understand the nature of these suits, read “The RIAA vs. John Doe, a layperson's guide to filesharing lawsuits” on the Digital Music Weblog. The Washington Post also reports on some recent suits in an article, “Download Uproar: Record Industry Goes After Personal Use.”
- In addition to suing users, the RIAA is also asking ISPs to collect a “piracy surcharge” from their users to compensate for illegal downloading.
Dulcinea's Picks
For basic information about the issue …
The BBC
offers an explanation of how illegal downloading sites work and why the music industry is in such an uproar.
To avoid illegal downloading …
Northwestern University
’s IT department instructs students on how to avoid illegal downloading. The guidelines are applicable to all Internet users.
IFPI
, the organization that represents the international recording industry, offers a download called “Digital File Check” (DFC) that ensures no illegally downloaded programs or files are on your computer. If you need motivation to download the tool, IFPI’s article on the dangers of illegal music downloading should inspire you.
For parents …
Childnet International
offers “Young People, Music and the Internet,” a guide parents can use to ensure that their children are not participating in illegal or dangerous music downloading. Childnet is a nonprofit organization working toward Internet safety for young people.
To read about the history of the downloading wars …
ScienceDaily
summarizes a paper from the Journal of Consumer Research that analyzes the past seven years of the downloading wars as if each side of the debate was a character in a play. This interpretation sheds light both on strategic decisions and the nature of business and commerce.
To learn about recent developments …
Recording Industry vs. The People
is a blog run by lawyers who are vehemently against the various recording industry lawsuits; the site posts frequent news and updates about these cases.
DRMBlog.org
posts occasional updates on the issue of digital rights management (DRM) and related developments in law and technology.
Legal Music Downloading Sites
The dangers of illegal downloading might frighten you into digging up your old cassette player or ... read more »
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