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I kinda feel like it is stealing, but that if one doesn't protect his stuff, and it gets stolen, he really only has himself to blame.

I feel like the artists deserve money, but the big record companies don't.    

It seems they will never prevent people from downloading music, and that people always will.  Music makers, when successful, make more than any hardworking carpenter would ever make.  So maybe its just that artists don't deserve money from the songs they make, but from the performances they provide.  They should have to perform to make their money - go on tours and do concerts.  No more multi-millionare singers.  They can earn regular money just like everyone else who works 40 hour weeks.  

Hmm...slippery slope, though.  Movie makers should make money off their movies - but 8.50 a movie is a little ridiculous.  Once movie downloads start becoming big, no one is going to pay $10 to see a movie anymore.  Then we'll be back to the shoddy quality of movies from back in the day with little budgets.  Nah...who knows...just rambling.

I've decided I really don't care anymore. If people download music and then get caught and fined, it's their fault. If they download music and get away with it, more power to them. If the RIAA's gonna get so obsessed with it, the price of CDs will drop, and people who buy CDs as much as I do will benefit in the end.

That's my way of looking at it, at least.

When Morpheous first came out, Record sells INCREASED! Most people DO NOT have CD burner, MP# players, and the patience/bandwidth to Download all the songs on one album. People just prefer to buy the CD, it is easier. On top of that, there is no logical reason then geed for someone to charge 20 bucks for 10 songs on a plastic disc that gets damages extremely easy. Is it stealing? Good question. How can you “steal” a song? Recording it off the radio, is that stealing? Especially with that new XM radio. What about when you pick up your guitar, and tab out the song from memory? Is that stealing? Music is such an abstract thing, I don’t think we can use words we describe physical object with to classify it. Money, clothing, jewels, these are things we steal. Music can just be grabbed out of the air, it can flow off the top of your head, out of your mouth, or through your fingers! It just isn’t the same.

That's a different way of looking at it too.  You're right - it just isn't really quite the same.  Maybe it becomes wrong if you download songs and sell them for a profit.  

My opinion is that if the band is big enough for you to be able to find and download their whole album on the internet they probably have enough money already.  $20 is ridiculous when they only cost $1 to make.  Another good thing about the downloading is that it is driving the prices down.  I heard a reduction of about 30% but I will probably keep downloading until its down to about $5, I'll just have to be more careful.

Yeah, or the Gesta- I mean the RIAA will arrest you! lol, heard of them arresting anyone yet? Hallow threats. I’m DLing things out of spite ;D

They have already filed something like 160 lawsuits, one of which paid out about $2,000.  Hundreds more are being planned.  Better hurry up and sign their waiver ::).  The average user with a lawsuit against them has about 1,000 songs being shared.  I've heard the lawsuits have been even higher than that too.

Yeah? Let them come. When DLing music is outlawed... ;D What gets on my nerves are the big name artist who claim to stand up for the "little guy" artists. Ironically, most new artists are using File sharing to get free and cheap publicity... Money mongering hacks!

What about the biblical idea of submitting to those in authority? The law says it is stealing to share music in this way. So that means we shouldnt do it. They dont say it is stealing to tape them off the radio or play them on guitar. So that's fine.

It seems pretty clear to me.

What about the biblical idea of submitting to those in authority? The law says it is stealing to share music in this way.

You can take this view, but then ask yourself if you would still obey authority if they said that Christianity was illegal.

No, because that would be in direct contrast to what God says. God doesnt say that we have to download songs off the net. He says to sing and worship him with instruments and songs, but we can easily do this within the bounds of the authority that God has put in place over us.

I agree with just about everyone lol. There is a lot of hypocrisy in some of the things the record industry says. The thing is, record sales are still increasing - I know that personally, I have bought more after I was able to download music freely from the internet than previously. That is simply because now I get to actually get to know whether I like the artist before shelling out money.

I download music with two restrictions on myself. Either I already own the music which I download in another form (particularly vinyl, but also cassette and CD) and so the artist has already received my money, or I am sampling the music. If I like it, I will buy the CD. If I do not like it, I will delete it.

I've noticed a few download sites saying people can download as a "sample", so my best guess is that that is actually legal. As well as being common sense.

I don't want to do artists out of money, even if they are very rich, but neither do I wish to waste my money.

Roman, I paid for it. I spent the 25 bucks to get Kazaa Gold so I can legally do all of this. However, I still stand on my first post. Music downloading doesn't fall into the class of stealing, therefore, it is an unfair and unjust law, just as the law against being a Christian in Roman times.

Hi everyone,

I kinda agree with Broken. You see I have worked as a DJ for the past 4 years, and a record single, not an album coste me between £5-£9, which is about $9-$15. Now, as you can see, that is a lot of money. For example to put together a 2 hour set you probably need 25 records so you can imagine the cost of keeping up-to-date. I download music, but only if I have it, or I want to try it out before I spend so much money on it. And yes, I have spent more since I started downloading. But the real conundrum for you is this:

Is it wrong to DJ in a nightclub as a Christian, watching people sin in front of you and do nothing about it? Is it wrong to DJ on the sabbath - even if you play Gospel-influenced music? (by the way I haven't played anywhere since I started readingthe Bible, but I'm not sure if I should again or not)

I voted for somewhere in the middle. I guess I don't have a problem with it because I download if there is only a song or two I like from an artist. If I like all their music I just buy the cd.

I realize that I am new to this site, but I can say that I have had experience on the writing and recording side of the music industry.  I agree with "someguy" when he says that it only takes $1 to replicate a CD.  However, the things he didn't include in that are paying the Recording Artists, Composer, Arrangers, Producers, Recording Engineers, Recording Studios, Graphics Designers, Publicity Personel, Copyrights, ect...

However, is the issue here the money that the Recording Artist are making or is it biblical obedience to the authority that God has put over us?

I voted "yes."

Vivaldi

Another newbie chiming in. I agree with the last post and I to voted yes.

The local library allows you to check out up to fifty cds a week (if you are so inclined) and I spent many hours and dollars duplicating them, for my own enjoyment. I also spent countless hours downloading songs from Morpheus and Bear Share. I must have had  four thousand songs.

Now, why do I consider it stealing? Because I received something that I did not pay for.

Here is what I mean. If I go to a library and read a book, I am using something I didn't pay for. But the publisher has allowed this for whatever reason. But, if I never return the book, that is considered stealing, right? What if i make a copy of the book and send back the original, aren't I still in possession of the book in some form (This is comparable to copying cds by the way because they are never the same quality just like a zerox copy of a book is not the same as the original)? The music manufacturers have not given you any rights to make copies for anyone but yourself (from what I understand).

The point is not whether it is wrong for the companies to charge so much for the music they put out. The question is should we be denying them the money that they are due?

So is copying wrong? I can't see that it is according to copyright law. Is sharing wrong? Yes because it is against copying law. By the way I deleted all the songs and got rid of the cds.

Oh and by the way it isn't okay if it is a Christian cd and it is for the church. Our choir ran into this recently. I am the only one with a burner.

The choir director asked me to make copies for all the people in the choir so we could practice it. I said, if you get permission from the publisher then I will do it. I got growns and moans of people saying hey we did it last year, and I could almost hear the "legalistic label" being slapped on my forehead.

Anyway by next choir practice I was told to go ahead and make them up in lue of it being done. Got to choir, and they hadn't called for permission.

Now, the cd says you must call and get permission and once you do, you can copy them, but must destroy the copies afterwards. It doesn't say just take it for granted that you can, it says do this... They didn't call as i said and were making me look like the bad guy when I was ticked off at them.

Technically what I had done was illegal and immoral, and they blew it off. I suggest that they buy a cd burner of their own next time.

Well, my brother, I have some wonderful news. It is legal and moral to use your burner if the songs or CD you are burning where bought. As long as you do not sell the CD back out to someone, it is perfectly legal. This issue isn't with burning CDs for friends and such. The issue is with Downlaoding music for free, burning it, and selling it.

At the risk of sounding more like a bohemian then I already am, the music belongs to the people. If Christian music Author’s will not allow their fans to copy their music, I want King David and his might men to come down and smite the "Christian" music artists for the use of all these Psalms.

Actually...Burning an original CD for other people, no matter if they are friend of foe is illigale.

Regarding DL music...There are no grey zones on this one. It is illigale/unlawful. that many people dont care, does not make it legale.

I understand people who want to test music before buying it. I live in Denmark, and we have almost no christian music here. I have to pay 50% more for the CD (and then plus shipping, which makes it almost 80%) more then for a non christian CD, and it is so anoying when it turnes out to suck because I coudlnt hear anything from it before buying it. but it is still illigale to dl.

If you want to hear something before buying, then try something like Www.musichristian.com
it has already helped me not to make some really sucky choices ;)