"Stealing" A Harsh Word for File Sharers

If you are reading this right now, you are online. That means you are connected to a galaxy’s worth of information, all available to you at your fingertips.

All you have to do is think of a topic, and you are a Google search away from learning about it.

“It’s really amazing to see how far it’s come in just the past few years,” said Michelle Dayton, who teaches digital media classes at Thomaston High School in Connecticut.

“I remember when it would take a few hours to find good information about something on the internet. Today, it takes minutes,” Dayton said.

Still, this new era of information sharing can leave users caught in a moral conundrum.

If all this information is available at such ease and for free, why would anyone pay for it?

“It’s something where you ask yourself,  why would I waste a dollar to download this song on iTunes, when I can just get it for free?” said Alex Dunn, 20, of Thomaston, Conn. 

Dunn said his computer came with Limewire, which is an application which allows users to download music for free. 

Limewire was sued for copyright infringement by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2006, but judges ruled that there were legitimate, legal uses for the application. The ruling placed the onus on users to make sure that they didn’t download illegal content. 

“I don’t understand why they go after the individuals when clearly Limewire would be nothing if it wasn’t for [illegal downloading].”

Connor Pesce, 19,  of Thomaston, also said that he uses Limewire, and that he believes most of his friends do as well. 

“I think everyone I know uses it,” he said. “It’s just the easiest way [to get music].”

Thus, the conundrum we have today. When something is easy, free, and popular, people feel more comfortable doing it even though it may technically be illegal. 

For its part, Limewire does display a message warning users that the content they are downloading may be copyright, and thus, illegal. Still, with over 30 million users, the application isn’t exactly leading the fight against illegal downloading.

People are using Limewire to download music for free.

 

“I think that someone within the recording industry has got to figure out a solution for this,” said Michelle Dayton. 

“They’re not going to be able to stop downloading the way they are going about it now. When things change, you have to be able to adapt to survive,” she said. “Today more than ever.”