File Trading...as bad as shoplifting?
Posted: Jun 6th 2003, 1:01 am
(First off, I know this has been discussed a little in other forums, but I thought a bit more intense one could ensue in this forum)
I ran across this, and found it pretty amusing:
http://www.internalmemos.com/memos/memo ... mo_id=1609
Now, I understand that you could argue that if you didn't steal it, you would have bought it. I know that 90% of what I download, I'd NEVER buy. If it wasn't free, I wouldn't pay money out for it. And the other 10% that I download, if I like it, I may just go out and buy ALL their albums. I discovered Underworld and Air by downloading one of their albums. I loved it, then I went out and bought ALL their albums, because they were GOOD, and WORTH my money.
The artists only get about $1 for an $18 cd. It costs about $1 to manufacture the cd. I don't know how much it costs to promote or produce the cd (studio time), but I somehow doubt it would come to even $5 a cd. Somehow I doubt that $18 for a cd is really what is necessary to keep the music business in business.
I, for one, would buy many more cds if they cost $8, even $10. But when it costs almost $20, and it turns out that only 3 songs are any good, thats a huge waste of money. Over Christmas, I saw a CD player for $15. Let me repeat that: I saw a CD player for $15. How rediculous is it that you can get a cd player, with all its mechanics and laser and computer chips, for less than a slab of plastic? How can the player cost less than the media?
Its not right. Until the retail comes down to acceptable levels, I'll keep file trading, thank you very much.
I ran across this, and found it pretty amusing:
http://www.internalmemos.com/memos/memo ... mo_id=1609
First of all, this point is completely b#llsh#t. Shoplifting a cd takes merchandise that the store paid for, and they lose out. Downloading music TAKES nothing. (yes, yes, I'll get to that in a moment). But as for the store, it does not take any merchandise, and they are not OUT anything for it.Copyright infringement is also illegal, no less so than shoplifting a CD.
Now, I understand that you could argue that if you didn't steal it, you would have bought it. I know that 90% of what I download, I'd NEVER buy. If it wasn't free, I wouldn't pay money out for it. And the other 10% that I download, if I like it, I may just go out and buy ALL their albums. I discovered Underworld and Air by downloading one of their albums. I loved it, then I went out and bought ALL their albums, because they were GOOD, and WORTH my money.
The artists only get about $1 for an $18 cd. It costs about $1 to manufacture the cd. I don't know how much it costs to promote or produce the cd (studio time), but I somehow doubt it would come to even $5 a cd. Somehow I doubt that $18 for a cd is really what is necessary to keep the music business in business.
I, for one, would buy many more cds if they cost $8, even $10. But when it costs almost $20, and it turns out that only 3 songs are any good, thats a huge waste of money. Over Christmas, I saw a CD player for $15. Let me repeat that: I saw a CD player for $15. How rediculous is it that you can get a cd player, with all its mechanics and laser and computer chips, for less than a slab of plastic? How can the player cost less than the media?
Its not right. Until the retail comes down to acceptable levels, I'll keep file trading, thank you very much.