When it comes to downloading music, what's okay and what's not?

1. You are a young novelist or struggling musician trying to make a living writing stories and music. Would you oppose or support more government control on copyright if technology promised unauthorized copies of your work could not be circulated?

In this day and age the access to illegal digital copying is easier than ever. There are numerous programs that you can download to get music, websites you can pirate music, and services that assist people in copying it illegally. Based on the laws around music now, I fully support more government control on copyright.

The law states, "When you make illegal copies of someone’s creative work, you are stealing and breaking the law." Although this is vague, it is very straightforward and those who break this law are well aware of it. 

If I were a musician who spent days, weeks, and sometimes years creating an album I would feel cheated and as if people were stealing from me, which they are. On MusicUnited.org there is a movement to help "educate consumers about the value of music copyright and the legitimate outlets for acquiring music". Part of their site has quotes from singers and songwriters speaking out against illegal music downloading.

The Dixie Chicks speak out by saying, "It may seem innocent enough, but every time you illegally download music a songwriter doesn't get paid. And, every time you swap that music with your friends a new artist doesn't get a chance. Respect the artists you love by not stealing their music. You're in control. Support music, don't steal it."

It comes down to the simple idea of respect. If you have respect for the artists that you listen to and admire, the least you could do is pay for what they create. 


To finish it off, P Diddy had some simple advice..."As an artist who has dedicated his life to music and the music business, I have seen what illegal music copying has done and continues to do to new and established musicians. I understand why people download music, but for me and my fellow artists, this is our livelihood. When you make an illegal copy, you're stealing from the artist. It's that simple. Every single day we're out here pouring our hearts and souls into making music for everyone to enjoy. What if you didn't get paid for your job? Put yourself in our shoes!"


He asks everyone to put themselves in the shoes of the artists that they are stealing from because it is their lifestyle form of income.


In conclusion, I do support the government taking a stronger movement towards controlling the copyright laws on music. It is only fair to the singers and songwriters to get credit for the time and effort they put into making their living. As long as this is the main motive of the government I believe that it is 100% the best thing to do.


http://www.musicunited.org/3_artists.aspx

My First Post! It's February 2nd. Last class we watched a video about the innovations of glass and how that would impact our daily lives. It was a very interesting video that makes me think about how inefficient everything we use today really is. A interesting piece.
Then I read the GPS articles relating to privacy. I think that as a society, when necessary and helpful GPS location based information is an amazing idea. I think that as of now the benefits of this system do outweigh the risks because of the potential that could come out of the findings. However, I believe that it is NECESSARY to get the government involved. In order to use a GPS location tracking device anyone should need a permit. Similar to the policies behind gun control. Although they can be extremely beneficial, they could also be deadly. By making it more difficult to gain possession of the device people will look into the product more and learn some of the benefits and risks. 
To relate this to the class I decided to research the relationship between this new trend and how parents are monitoring their children. This is what I found: 
"Research done by Diane Annunziata and her colleagues at Fordham University shows us that...monitoring helps our children develop relationships, improve their character, and instils in them a sense of belonging in their families and communities".
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/nurturing-resilience/201010/gps-tracking-kids-is-not-the-same-monitoring-them
I disagree with this because I think that monitoring is such a vague term that could be used for many extremities. Some parents could use it rarely, on a special occasion, if they were severely concerned. But, most parents would use it whenever there was doubt or lack in trust. If they were the least bit concerned that their child was lying they could easily check where they are. I feel that it is not only necessary to protect the rights of adults, but also children. Although parents are the guardians of their children there is a line that shouldn't be crossed.The way that it is set up now allows for a system that could easily be abused and taken advantage of.
What Do You Think?