Jail Time For Illegal Downloaders/Uploaders?

[BruisedxBroken]

Do You Think Illegal Downloaders/Uploaders Should Serve Jail Time In Federal Prison?

From here on out, rumor has it that the riaa and mpaa will be pushing for harsher penalities for illegal downloads/uploads, which could very well include criminal prosecution. What do you think?

[AP_Punk]

ridiculous.

[Branevember31]

no.

[smelltheglove]

it should be the same penalty system as we have for shoplifting, petty theft and grand theft.

buy music theiving kids, just because you stole it from the comfort of your house or dorm or apt. doesn't mean it wasn't stealing.

if you have 100 illegal cd's on your computer, thats like stealing 1,200 worth of merchandise.

its wrong.

[SeanEBoy2686]

it should be the same penalty system as we have for shoplifting, petty theft and grand theft.

buy music theiving kids, just because you stole it from the comfort of your house or dorm or apt. doesn't mean it wasn't stealing.

if you have 100 illegal cd's on your computer, thats like stealing 1,200 worth of merchandise.

its wrong.


but how can the RIAA or whoever determine what was illegally downloaded... ive copied cds from friends and the library onto my computer and then burned them for my cd collection. i dont consider that stealing, and if anybody thought that then itd be ridiculous.

Jail time for downloading music is just a stupid idea in most cases. I can see if a person is selling the downloaded music for a shitload of money. But people downloading one song here and there from cds they'd never buy makes sense to me... itunes has the right idea by making songs available for individual sale, but still, jailtime would be a dumb idea in most cases

[falloutboy.]

but how can the RIAA or whoever determine what was illegally downloaded... ive copied cds from friends and the library onto my computer and then burned them for my cd collection. i dont consider that stealing, and if anybody thought that then itd be ridiculous.

Jail time for downloading music is just a stupid idea in most cases. I can see if a person is selling the downloaded music for a shitload of money. But people downloading one song here and there from cds they'd never buy makes sense to me... itunes has the right idea by making songs available for individual sale, but still, jailtime would be a dumb idea in most cases
i agree with you. though were not helping the musician by buying the cd ourselves, ive copied from friends and have a huge library cause of it.

[kbauer]

Oh geeze

[BruisedxBroken]

but how can the RIAA or whoever determine what was illegally downloaded... ive copied cds from friends and the library onto my computer and then burned them for my cd collection. i dont consider that stealing, and if anybody thought that then itd be ridiculous.

Jail time for downloading music is just a stupid idea in most cases. I can see if a person is selling the downloaded music for a shitload of money. But people downloading one song here and there from cds they'd never buy makes sense to me... itunes has the right idea by making songs available for individual sale, but still, jailtime would be a dumb idea in most cases

taking a cd and making a duplicate copy is just as bad as downloading in the riaa's eyes. You'd be forced to serve the same sentence...

[SeanEBoy2686]

taking a cd and making a duplicate copy is just as bad as downloading in the riaa's eyes. You'd be forced to serve the same sentence...

The fact that its illegal is just as absurd as the law forbidding from the public showing of movie without paying royalties to whoever is supposed to be paid royalties. This includes watching a movie for fun in school, watching a movie with a group of friends in a common room at college, watching a movie on one of those luxury buses when ur on a trip. Anyways... we'd all be poor if we didn't borrow from friends, i also wouldn't know about alot of artists if i hadnt gotten copies from friends.

[kevinrocks409]

it should be the same penalty system as we have for shoplifting, petty theft and grand theft.

buy music theiving kids, just because you stole it from the comfort of your house or dorm or apt. doesn't mean it wasn't stealing.

if you have 100 illegal cd's on your computer, thats like stealing 1,200 worth of merchandise.

its wrong.

Just to let you know, at best buy i bought 5 cd's and it was like a kick in the nuts. 75 dollars. That is a lot of money for a kid like me (13).
I already had internet (illegal) copies so i bought the real thing.
But I don't understand how the industry, the riaa, the mpaa expect people not to steal when the prices for cd's are this high.
It is insane, if they want people to buy their cd's lower the prices. I would rather have a CD then a stupid m4a or mp3 file that i can only play when im sitting in front of the computer. But at about $14 a cd for a CD that doesn't even have 14 songs, the consumers are getting screwed and chances are the industry will too.
Many artists, including David Dramian of Disturbed, say they make their $$$ off touring and dont want the RIAA's protection.
So, in conclusion, screw the RIAA. If they were able to figure out how to sell records at a price fair to consumers/artists/stores they would be fine. And they don't and complain about being stolen from.

[The_New_Cancer_]

lol....it will never end.

[polock]

let the debate begin

[smelltheglove]

Just to let you know, at best buy i bought 5 cd's and it was like a kick in the nuts. 75 dollars. That is a lot of money for a kid like me (13).
I already had internet (illegal) copies so i bought the real thing.
But I don't understand how the industry, the riaa, the mpaa expect people not to steal when the prices for cd's are this high.
It is insane, if they want people to buy their cd's lower the prices. I would rather have a CD then a stupid m4a or mp3 file that i can only play when im sitting in front of the computer. But at about $14 a cd for a CD that doesn't even have 14 songs, the consumers are getting screwed and chances are the industry will too.
Many artists, including David Dramian of Disturbed, say they make their $$$ off touring and dont want the RIAA's protection.
So, in conclusion, screw the RIAA. If they were able to figure out how to sell records at a price fair to consumers/artists/stores they would be fine. And they don't and complain about being stolen from.

you're only 13? Your argument is quite good and I thank god not all 13 year olds are as retarded as I was.
When I was 13, cd's were 18 bucks a pop. So they have gone down in price. Also, new releases are often only 9.99 or less sometimes at best buy. As for buying up old shit, yea, 13-16 bucks is the norm and that does suck.
I don't have all the answers, and I'm impressed that you illegally download stuff but then have the decency to buy it. I do the same, I'll admit. I had FUCT and Infinity on High well before they dropped, but I own real copies of both.
I agree, fuck the RIAA. But fuck Walmart too. and fuck chain grocery stores. Fuck target. does that mean stealing from them is ok too? It doesn't hurt the employees, only the bigwig bosses. hmm.
And yes, artists do make much more from touring and t shirt sales than they do cd sales.

To me, the people who don't buy ANY music are the problem. I have a friend who probably has 400 cd's probably on his computer. NONE of them are legit. he pirates DVD's like a motherfucker too, he netflicks em and burns em. its wrong. But I don't think jail is a good place for him. other than this deviant behavior, he is a productive member of society, breaks very few other laws other than smoking pot and is in college and works part time doing web design. should he go to jail for stealing that much shit? No. but he probably deserves a fine.

[BruisedxBroken]

Just to let you know, at best buy i bought 5 cd's and it was like a kick in the nuts. 75 dollars. That is a lot of money for a kid like me (13).
I already had internet (illegal) copies so i bought the real thing.
But I don't understand how the industry, the riaa, the mpaa expect people not to steal when the prices for cd's are this high.
It is insane, if they want people to buy their cd's lower the prices. I would rather have a CD then a stupid m4a or mp3 file that i can only play when im sitting in front of the computer. But at about $14 a cd for a CD that doesn't even have 14 songs, the consumers are getting screwed and chances are the industry will too.
Many artists, including David Dramian of Disturbed, say they make their $$$ off touring and dont want the RIAA's protection.
So, in conclusion, screw the RIAA. If they were able to figure out how to sell records at a price fair to consumers/artists/stores they would be fine. And they don't and complain about being stolen from.

I'm not sure I understand your argument. Jordan tennis shoes are what, 100 bucks? fucking expensive for shoes, right? BUT, that's what they retail for. I have no right to go steal a pair simply because I feel they're out of my budget. If you can't afford 14 bucks for a cd, you don't have buy it! Cd's and DVD's are the only thing people feel they can get away with stealing, and it's getting out of hand. Real people in the industry are LOSING MONEY and LOSING THEIR JOBS, is that really okay??

My co-worker has close ties to someone in the industry, and he told me it's about to go down real soon. The minute the RIAA/MPAA get the green light for criminal proscecution, they're going all out. Anyone watch that show "to catch a predator"? The RIAA/MPAA will put their own spin on it; To Catch A Pirate. They'll show up at your doorstep with ISP logs, cameras, federal authorities, and chris hanson. You'll be arrested, interviewed and made to appear before a judge. Details of your piracy crimes will be made public on national television; it'll be great prime time drama. Once the public sees how real it's getting, illegal downloads will drop off by 50%. I guarantee it. And even if the RIAA decides not to got the route of Dateline, criminal prosecution alone will be enough to crub the problem. Downloading a 15 dollar cd just isn't worth legal fee's, bail, possible prison time and the probation/parole that will follow...

[polock]

well our country sucks balls, lets just leave it at that

[IATA4224]

I'm not sure I understand your argument. Jordan tennis shoes are what, 100 bucks? fucking expensive for shoes, right? BUT, that's what they retail for. I have no right to go steal a pair simply because I feel they're out of my budget. If you can't afford 14 bucks for a cd, you don't have buy it! Cd's and DVD's are the only thing people feel they can get away with stealing, and it's getting out of hand. Real people in the industry are LOSING MONEY and LOSING THEIR JOBS, is that really okay??

My co-worker has close ties to someone in the industry, and he told me it's about to go down real soon. The minute the RIAA/MPAA get the green light for criminal proscecution, they're going all out. Anyone watch that show "to catch a predator"? The RIAA/MPAA will put their own spin on it; To Catch A Pirate. They'll show up at your doorstep with ISP logs, cameras, federal authorities, and chris hanson. You'll be arrested, interviewed and made to appear before a judge. Details of your piracy crimes will be made public on national television; it'll be great prime time drama. Once the public sees how real it's getting, illegal downloads will drop off by 50%. I guarantee it. And even if the RIAA decides not to got the route of Dateline, criminal prosecution alone will be enough to crub the problem. Downloading a 15 dollar cd just isn't worth legal fee's, bail, possible prison time and the probation/parole that will follow...


You have a point in your first part but I think there is a huge different when comparing a cd to a pair of shoes. Not only are shoes a necessity, but shoes cost a good amount of money if you want a decent pair.. CD's on the other hand well are a dime a dozen.. How many bands can you TRULY say are worth the $14 to $19? I'd say a 1/10th of the cd's and bands are actually worth the money here. In all honesty downloading music is a blessing in disguise for some artists because they would never have gotten any exposure in any other way. Are you going to spend $14 on a band that you never heard or know nothing about? I highly doubt that unless you have money to just throw around.. Whereas I could see my self spending $80 on a pair of shoes that I have never seen before..

The RIAA/MPAA are just another business in the United States that is making money off of the work of others.. A band shouldn't care if a person downloads their cd because it is just them gaining exposure. A band can make more money off of the fans buying their merch and going to concerts than they will off of a cd. I, myself, buy the entire cd because it just feels incomplete without the artwork and actual disc. I guess what would be best is that the artists boycotted these industries and release everything themselves..

[BruisedxBroken]

You have a point in your first part but I think there is a huge different when comparing a cd to a pair of shoes. Not only are shoes a necessity, but shoes cost a good amount of money if you want a decent pair.. CD's on the other hand well are a dime a dozen.. How many bands can you TRULY say are worth the $14 to $19? I'd say a 1/10th of the cd's and bands are actually worth the money here. In all honesty downloading music is a blessing in disguise for some artists because they would never have gotten any exposure in any other way. Are you going to spend $14 on a band that you never heard or know nothing about? I highly doubt that unless you have money to just throw around.. Whereas I could see my self spending $80 on a pair of shoes that I have never seen before..

The RIAA/MPAA are just another business in the United States that is making money off of the work of others.. A band shouldn't care if a person downloads their cd because it is just them gaining exposure. A band can make more money off of the fans buying their merch and going to concerts than they will off of a cd. I, myself, buy the entire cd because it just feels incomplete without the artwork and actual disc. I guess what would be best is that the artists boycotted these industries and release everything themselves..

If that's the case, why not just buy 1 cd that you like out of 10 that actually retail? Plus, it's not really your call to say what is and isn't "worth the money". I'll be honest, I think the last cd I actually felt good about buying was "this is a stick up" by htl. That cd, IMO, is worth every penny. I've bought tons of cd's that suck, and tons that kick ass; in the end, it evens itself out. I'm not going to completely stop purchasing music simply because I drop 10 bucks on a cd that turns out to be crap.

[IATA4224]

If that's the case, why not just buy 1 cd that you like out of 10 that actually retail? Plus, it's not really your call to say what is and isn't "worth the money". I'll be honest, I think the last cd I actually felt good about buying was "this is a stick up" by htl. That cd, IMO, is worth every penny. I've bought tons of cd's that suck, and tons that kick ass; in the end, it evens itself out. I'm not going to completely stop purchasing music simply because I drop 10 bucks on a cd that turns out to be crap.

Downloading doesn't necessarily cause a decline in record sales.. Just because a person downloaded a record doesn't mean they were going to go out and buy it.. And so say that person went out and bought the record, not knowing anything about the band or what they sounded like, and totally hated, you think that they should be stuck with it? But then look at the people who download a band and then go out and buy the entire bands catalog? It's a give or take thing.. Maybe the music industry is just in a complete state of bullshit and needs to realize that there are other factors besides downloading.. A good band these days is a dime a dozen and all the teeny boppers are buying all the cool cds like the Fray or the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus..

The last cd i went out and bought was XO by Elliot Smith and I love it.. But I never listened to him before, but it could have been the opposite.. Downloading doesn't affect the artists, it affects the labels and people that control the artists.. Again, bands make more money touring than selling records..

IF you do "illegally" download music and are a true fan, you will always go out and buy the record to support the artist/s. It's a shame that trading cds with people over the internet has become a crime.. Once again, that is the monster of the recording industry

[netzephyr]

IF you do "illegally" download music and are a true fan, you will always go out and buy the record to support the artist/s. It's a shame that trading cds with people over the internet has become a crime.. Once again, that is the monster of the recording industry

If I didn't get 'illegal' copies of music I didn't know about sent to me over the internet there's no way I would have bought even a quarter of the CD collection I have right now. Fair enough prosecute those people who never spend a penny on buying music - if everyone behaved like them then the music industry would be far smaller than it is today, and a vast amount of talent would go unnoticed. However, the RIAA should learn to differentiate between those who own huge stocks of ripped MP3s and those who own only a few for the benefit of learning about new artists.

More importantly, until they can definitively tell between illegally downloaded MP3s and those taken off people's own CD collection, there's no way they should be starting legal action. If there's the slightest chance that they'll prosecute someone without real evidence of illegal downloading then their whole legal standpoint is worthless.

At the end of the day, people are always going to pirate music, and until the RIAA recognise this and do something about it, like forgetting about DRM protection so that people can realistically purchase their music collection online, then prosecuting pirates is going to remain as ineffective at stopping piracy as it has been in the past.

[Thug_Nasty]

i think people who steal music constantly should be punished, but jail time is just stupid. you basically get ass raped for stealing some songs. wtf is that?

[SeanEBoy2686]

i think people who steal music constantly should be punished, but jail time is just stupid. you basically get ass raped for stealing some songs. wtf is that?


hahahaha.... exactly

[ByelineCole]

absolute punk would go under due to all of its members being in jail

[jjjkman]

Just to let you know, at best buy i bought 5 cd's and it was like a kick in the nuts. 75 dollars. That is a lot of money for a kid like me (13).
I already had internet (illegal) copies so i bought the real thing.
But I don't understand how the industry, the riaa, the mpaa expect people not to steal when the prices for cd's are this high.
It is insane, if they want people to buy their cd's lower the prices. I would rather have a CD then a stupid m4a or mp3 file that i can only play when im sitting in front of the computer. But at about $14 a cd for a CD that doesn't even have 14 songs, the consumers are getting screwed and chances are the industry will too.
Many artists, including David Dramian of Disturbed, say they make their $$$ off touring and dont want the RIAA's protection.
So, in conclusion, screw the RIAA. If they were able to figure out how to sell records at a price fair to consumers/artists/stores they would be fine. And they don't and complain about being stolen from.
exactly wat i was thinking....i love you

[mushroom]

the ones who think people should go to jail for illegally downloading music think this because they can't illegally download themselves or don't know how

not because they have morals

[animmortalsoul]

I can't decide. I think it's wrong and it probably hurts labels, who then don't want to put as much money into artists, and therefore it probably does actually damage the industry. But I'm 15 -- I'm a high school student with no job and no money. And I spend all my money buying music legitimately, but after that I usually download stuff I can't afford. Which is probably wrong, but...I am undecided.

[shlepRICKY]

yes

[NJUNDERDOG]

theyre taking this way too far. this is a battle that will never be won.

[lilgoaliebro]

I think that buying CDs is almost a dead era. Music should be free, they arleady overcharge for tickets and merch. But the music industry needs to come up with a way to make it free, but still make money. Like advertisements on the radio or tv... hmm... maybe very certain number of songs you play on itunes or on any mp3's, an advert can play, although I hate that idea, it would work.

[Smash Adams]

I think that buying CDs is almost a dead era. Music should be free, they arleady overcharge for tickets and merch. But the music industry needs to come up with a way to make it free, but still make money. Like advertisements on the radio or tv... hmm... maybe very certain number of songs you play on itunes or on any mp3's, an advert can play, although I hate that idea, it would work.

they overcharge since instead of cds being the main source of profit and tours actually hurting profits, since if you're touring you're not recording, it's been switched. I try not to download music- I stream mp3s but I rarely download them to my computer unless they're rare or exclusive. I do agree however, that it's ridiculous that t-shirts sometimes cost as much, or at least very close to as much, as tickets.

[risew/thefallen]

im not touching this with a 10 foot pole. i just believe they should be fined. easy as that.

[lushintransit]

I'm not sure I understand your argument. Jordan tennis shoes are what, 100 bucks? fucking expensive for shoes, right? BUT, that's what they retail for. I have no right to go steal a pair simply because I feel they're out of my budget. If you can't afford 14 bucks for a cd, you don't have buy it! Cd's and DVD's are the only thing people feel they can get away with stealing, and it's getting out of hand. Real people in the industry are LOSING MONEY and LOSING THEIR JOBS, is that really okay??

My co-worker has close ties to someone in the industry, and he told me it's about to go down real soon. The minute the RIAA/MPAA get the green light for criminal proscecution, they're going all out. Anyone watch that show "to catch a predator"? The RIAA/MPAA will put their own spin on it; To Catch A Pirate. They'll show up at your doorstep with ISP logs, cameras, federal authorities, and chris hanson. You'll be arrested, interviewed and made to appear before a judge. Details of your piracy crimes will be made public on national television; it'll be great prime time drama. Once the public sees how real it's getting, illegal downloads will drop off by 50%. I guarantee it. And even if the RIAA decides not to got the route of Dateline, criminal prosecution alone will be enough to crub the problem. Downloading a 15 dollar cd just isn't worth legal fee's, bail, possible prison time and the probation/parole that will follow...

I think the big difference here though is that shoes don't make you feel better when your sad. Shoes don't make the world seem like a better place. Shoes don't come in literally billions of varieties that can help define you as a person. I can't explain the psychological affect of music, for I bear no degree in psychology but it does something to us.

Furthermore, I personally don't think the shoe example or any other 'contrast' I've heard thus far works well because there's so much music in this world that IS free. I personally think the closest comparison is writing. If I photocopy an article from a book for my personal pleasure (not for the pursuit of academia), I'm breaking copyright law and am subject to similar fines and levies as to music piracy. But nobody ever really thinks of that for the same reason I think people don't think of it when downloading music: it's hard to conceive (especially to a 'young mind') why a. something so enjoyable comes at a price and b. why you have to pay money to so many people other than the person who created it. That's where our world is fucked up--the musicians and authors of our time don't get money off of their craft but rather off of the performance of their craft (concerts and speeches). It's also very backwards that when a band comes out in their parents basement, their music is free on the internet to try and gain exposure and they make no money. When the band signs to a tiny internet label, some of their music is free and they still make almost no money. But when a band signs to a 'real label,' none of their music is free and they still make little money. There's something wrong in that equation.

I think one of the many reasons I don't think downloading music is 'wrong' (though, I don't do it, minus advances of CD's prior to buying the CD at a release date) is because, as a friend of mine in a band once said, in most bands there are five people. Even if you say the band gets half the price of a CD, that's still only 10 percent of a CD per person. On a 14 dollar CD, that's 1.40. Of course, no band gets 50 percent on no CD and in order to sell enough CD's for that 1.40 to pay off, you have to get known to the world to make them buy your CD. And that's a pretty hard thing to do now-a-days without the internet.

[lushintransit]

If that's the case, why not just buy 1 cd that you like out of 10 that actually retail? Plus, it's not really your call to say what is and isn't "worth the money". I'll be honest, I think the last cd I actually felt good about buying was "this is a stick up" by htl. That cd, IMO, is worth every penny. I've bought tons of cd's that suck, and tons that kick ass; in the end, it evens itself out. I'm not going to completely stop purchasing music simply because I drop 10 bucks on a cd that turns out to be crap.


But, in grand theory, the point behind being able to download is so that you know which CD's suck so that you drop your 10 bucks (which..where do you shop, that's amazing CD prices) on something you love. And then, buy more because you know so much more of what's good. I think it's hard to deny that in any other industry, people are skeptical to spend good money on something that may not be worth it. Downloading, in a perfect world, eliminates that.

[lushintransit]

IF you do "illegally" download music and are a true fan, you will always go out and buy the record to support the artist/s. It's a shame that trading cds with people over the internet has become a crime.. Once again, that is the monster of the recording industry


You know what I always find funny? Mixtapes and recording cassettes of radio broadcast are the same level of illegal as pirating and have been going on for FAR longer. But nobody prosecutes trendsters.

I never understand the level of the law, personally. If I borrow a CD from a friend and keep it for good, does that indicate stealing from the RIAA? Does it only constitute if my friend has a copy of it on their computer too, or if they backed up the CD on a CR-R? Is it only music piracy if the internet is involved? It's really early so those are the best questions I can think of but I always do wonder.

[emptyvictory]

IF you were making a living off the sale of Cd's what would you really think.

[emptyvictory]

well our country sucks balls, lets just leave it at that

Not trying to start an argument but have you ever lived anywhere else? If you think it "sucks balls" here you should try anyhwere in Asia, especially if your a woman. Come on man, you can travel anyhwere at anytime within the USA and not have one border stop. We might have some real asshole politicians and wack laws but its still beter here.

[Thug_Nasty]

i just use my dads credit card on itunes