illegal music downloads

James,

You are confusing paying for the CD with a license to broadcast or publicly perform it.

I too have worked in radio (management and on-air), and can tell you that several times a year, stations must keep logs for BMI to show what songs are being played. Your anecdotal and peripheral exposure is incomplete, else you would know the difference. I don't doubt that there are illegal things that occur from time to time, but the fact remains, if you download P2P music, you are breaking the law and stealing.

Nowadays, much music does come from corporate, but that doesn't mean the station didn't pay. If a station were to go out on a P2P, like the old KaZaA or Napster, and grab music, that too is illegal. No responsible station owner would risk it.

I also remember when music was on vinyl and suffered "queue burns" at the start from queueing the record up. The station would buy another copy retail if a promo version was not available, but I question the legality of doing so. As a practical matter, yes it happens. Still, much different than downloading someone's work and not paying. At least when the station buys a CD, money goes to the artist.

And again, even if someone else is stealing, does that make it right?

 

As an aside, I get the feeling James, that you have justified this practice to yourself to the point that you don't care what the law is. This is sad. Apparently you have convinced yourself that this is morally different than taking a CD from a store without paying. The technology is different. The moral issue is the same. I am not trying to attack you, but to as gently as I can, point out that this is wrong, and it can also damage your witness for Christ. Would Jesus download illegal files?

Edited to add: I have plenty of beams in my own eye, but this is one area I happen to have a high level of knowledge about.

 

What station did you work for? What station does your cousin work for?

How did you and your cousin juggle your logs to hide this?

I have to be honest, I'm not saying that you're not telling the truth, but if what you're saying is true, I'm really surprised that you don't know how these things work.

Nwo Playing: O’Jays – “Backstabbers”

 

Busted! Read the license agreements on movies, music, and software. You only purchase the right to use it according to the terms of license. The terms probably forbid public - even private clubs - showing, broadcasting, etc. without payment of royalty by some method such as the industry agreements mentioned. Doing otherwise is illegal.

Patrick

 

Mike, I'd really rather not say what stations. I'd hate to get anyone aside from me in trouble with the law.

I guess you all very well could be right, and probably are, but I just don't see it as illegal, morally speaking.

Of course, it doesn't really matter anymore for me because I no longer use P2P programs, and haven't in probably a year.

Let us not forget that the law says that abortions are legal, but most of us would not agree with that law. Laws are not always correct.

Anyways, I've got more CDs than I can handle now, so, with my new old country station in town, plus the CDs, I've pretty much got any song I want to hear.

I only listen to the free songs provided by Yahoo Messenger when I'm on the net now.

 

Just in relation to our Poll linked to a couple of pages earlier, nearly half of the respondants have checked yes to having software that has been pirated on their P.C.

I wonder what the figure would be on a secular board, would it be more or the same?

 

If you have LimeWire, you can find legal downloads at MagnetMix.com. The selection of music is limited, and mostly secular, though. There are also legal downloads in other categories.