Download from Internet with law in mind

Music and movie piracy are often dismissed by casual Internet
users as common and acceptable practices ““ but the stealing
of intellectual property is a problem that must stop.

Much like the Old West, the Internet has been a haven for the
free-spirited and delinquent alike. Downloading music, movies and
software has been seen by thousands as an easy and risk-free
adventure. But the owners of the intellectual materials have been
genuinely hurt by such activities ““ and they are fighting
back. Just last week, 531 new suits were brought against people
suspected of sharing copyrighted files.

Many balk at the thought of media conglomerates’ suing
children or grandmothers for downloading their favorite MP3s, but
the Recording Industry Association of America and Motion Picture
Association feel they have few other options. Because of the
relatively anonymous nature of the Internet, it is difficult to
contact copyright violators without going though the courts and
taking legal action against them. It is also hard to justify the
cost and effort of taking legal action without expecting some sort
of penalty to be levied.

And, simply put, copyright violation is against the law.

Whether downloading a few movies or an entire music collection,
individuals are responsible for their actions. At UCLA, if a
student uses the university network to download or upload
illegally, he or she will probably first receive a warning letter
before facing legal penalties. Those living in apartments may not
be so lucky. Because most Internet service providers will not
release individuals’ contact information, they may or may not
receive a warning letter before being subjected to the legal
system.

It’s hard to empathize with huge corporations that seem to
have unlimited resources.

But the impact of copyright infringement does not begin or end
with the “casual” KaZaA or Direct Connect user. Music
and movie companies must fight a constant battle with organized,
large-scale pirates. A CD ripped to the Internet or a movie
captured on a camcorder can spread across the world with
devastating impact.

Encoded in flexible digital formats, intellectual property might
first be copied from a screen in Westwood, only to be transferred
over the Internet to China for mass production while simultaneously
spreading over a peer-to-peer network like a virus.

Each copy created is potentially a copy a movie or music studio
could have sold.

Eventually, if the flow of illegal material is not stopped,
studios may be forced to cut production costs and take smaller
risks with their products. If that happened, everyone would lose
““ consumers, studios and employees.

No matter how many lawsuits they bring, the studios have to keep
up with technological changes if they hope to stay competitive.
There is no doubt the music industry was too slow in realizing the
potential ““ good and bad ““ of the Internet. But in no
way does that make it acceptable to download copyrighted
material.

To do so is to steal.