Is Downloading Music a Crime?

Everybody wants something for free, but is downloading free music a crime. I have heard many people's opinion on this topic. Most of them say it is not stealing. However if you were to walk into a store and take a c.d. without paying for it, wouldn't that be stealing?

I have often wondered what the big hype is about programs such as Limewire. I am perfectly happy spending ninety-nine cents on my songs. I actually enjoy the fact that they give money to the artists. I mean if I had a job I would want to get paid for it. I would not want other people stealing my work. There are many different reasons people should not get involved with stealing music.

The biggest reason is the fact that you are not supporting the artist by stealing their music. Since Programs such as iTunes came out many artists are loosing money on their cds. Instead of people buying a whole album for one song they now have the option to only download the song they like. If more and more people start stealing music then new artists may not want to come into the music business. If you really love the music you are downloading then maybe you should think about the person whose creation it is.

Another reason is the fact that you do not know the people that you are getting the music from. They could be passing your computer a very nasty virus. I know that if that happened to me I would have wished I were paying for my music. I'd like to think that people are basically good but some can trick you. If you use iTunes you know that it is secure and no one is going to mess your computer up.

Many people who download music illegally like to defend their claim by saying they are "sharing" music. Well by music law a cd can only be copied once. So if you're just sharing one song with one person that is not illegal. However these sites are designed for millions of people to download the same song.

iTunes is just the better way to go. It pays the artists for their time and effort. I absolutely love music, and don't get me wrong I love free things. However I believe that this generation has crossed a line somewhere. We really need to get back to what music is all about, supporting the artist.