Stealing or merely er, independent distribution?

-- Paulineee (paulineee_@hotmail.com), February 16, 2001

Answers

I don't think I can get righteous over this subject when I'm guilty of doing something similar. I've never used Napster but during the time that I was into downloading Mp3's (several years ago), I would go to those icky hacker websites and get them that way. I knew what I was doing was wrong but I think we, people in general, have a profound ability to rationalize our wrongdoing when we know we won't suffer any direct consequences.

-- Sasha (sasha@travisasha.com), February 16, 2001.

I guess I am sort of picky, but if all the uproar over music had been raised over books years ago, how many of us would have more than one book ? Sometimes even the paper backs are more than I can afford. And to be nasty about it, how dare California use our discarded Colorado River water ? It originates in our Rocky Mountains. The giving of, the distribution of items I do not think can be controlled if the original thing was paid for. Maybe I'm wrong.

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), February 16, 2001.

I work in a high school library, and have attended workshops on Copyright infringement, which has helped me to better understand the position of Napster's opponents. As Paulineee says, it IS stealing...

-- Stephanie (stevie@idsi.net), February 17, 2001.

Well GRanny over here never got around to figuring out what MP3 was, and never looked to Napster either, just too durn dumb trying to figure out why my computer does silly stuff when I try to download an antivrus or how do I update my microsoft stuff and should I?

From what I have read it sounds like stealing material and I must admit I have passed along some Ziggy cartoons and stuff without permission, otherwise I get permission for things I use.

-- MizBee (texasbonnie1@yahoo.com), February 17, 2001.

I've traded cassette copies of CD's and done my share of recording off the radio when I was a teenager.. yet I refuse Rob's offers of procuring stuff for me off of Napster. I don't know whether the trading is illegal or not.. it is permissible to make copies for personal use as long as they're not sold. The "illegal" aspect isn't what bothers me though.. it's the moral aspect.. particularly the fact that most people who use Napster do NOT perceive that they're doing anything either illegal or immoral. (or so it seems to me)

Yes the artists are rich enough. Yes the record companies gouge. Still.. ripping off entire CD's is just wrong.

-- Pauline (p_brock@hotmail.com), February 17, 2001.