We're All Pirates

In the time that it takes you to sing your favorite song, you probably could have downloaded the entire album. How? Filesharing sites and programs such as mp3Raid and Limewire are scattered all across the internet and are very popular in the online world. But before you get excited and start typing "free music" into Google, you should know that these sites are illegal and downloading from them is punishable by crime.
The RIAA is responsible for superintending all of the record labels, administering guidelines, and also busting anybody committing the act of piracy. Piracy is just a fancy word that means stealing a copyrighted product. They charged Jammie Thomas from Minnesota a fee of nearly 10 THOUSAND dollars per song. I find it ironic that one of those songs was "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child.
If I were a member of Destiny's Child(or any band), I wouldn't want anybody downloading my songs illegally. Most musicians make a living off of record sales and if record sales continue going down, music could become only a hobby. Another negative outcome of illegal filesharing is that fewer new artists are being signed due to financial issues at record companies. I don't know about you, but I want to make sure that our musicians are being paid well and also that new artists are attaining their dream of getting signed by a record company.


So really, the choice is up to you. Would you rather pay a dollar now, or ten thousand later?