Is it wrong to download illegaly?

Jon said:

Hi,

I just thought I would start this discussion to see what people think about illegal downloads....

I can honestly say I have never done it. Mainly for the fear of downloading a virus. From a moral perspective I am undecided.

I love music and love to collect CD's and records. If someone was never ever going to hear a beautiful peice of music in their life because they could not afford it would it be OK for them to download it illegaly? If they could never create something because they did not have some expensive software and therefore never fulfill there full potential would it be OK to illegall download the software? However where do you draw the line? Do you then just help yourself to someones possesions? Also what if the owner (software designer or artist) is really struggling to make a living? Should that influence your decision to download?

I am not a big fan of the consumer economy and culture but thats maybe another topic.

No, it is not ok to download illegally.  It is a breach of copyright law, as well as being the digital equivalent of going into HMV and stealing CDs; it is digital shoplifting.  

I have been diagnosed with ASD in the summer of 2011 (aged 34), but I go out and work to be able to buy CDs and digital music, legally.  And for the five years when I was a student, I could hardly afford to buy anything and had to go without; I did NOT go into shops and steal CDs, LPs and/or cassettes (in the pre-digital era, before the World Wide Web took off).  I had to learn to go without.  

Unfortunately, some of the youth of today seem to think everything should be free, usually whilst spouting nonsense about "socialism" and/or "communism", but at the same time are not prepared to produce anything themselves and share with others.  They expect others to slave over making music, films, TV programmes, books, etc, for no financial recompense, but are not prepared to do so themselves!

(Please excuse my moaning!  Fast approaching middle age, me, and very cynical!)

Jon said:

Hi,

I just thought I would start this discussion to see what people think about illegal downloads....

I can honestly say I have never done it. Mainly for the fear of downloading a virus. From a moral perspective I am undecided.

I love music and love to collect CD's and records. If someone was never ever going to hear a beautiful peice of music in their life because they could not afford it would it be OK for them to download it illegaly? If they could never create something because they did not have some expensive software and therefore never fulfill there full potential would it be OK to illegall download the software? However where do you draw the line? Do you then just help yourself to someones possesions? Also what if the owner (software designer or artist) is really struggling to make a living? Should that influence your decision to download?

I am not a big fan of the consumer economy and culture but thats maybe another topic.

No, it is not ok to download illegally.  It is a breach of copyright law, as well as being the digital equivalent of going into HMV and stealing CDs; it is digital shoplifting.  

I have been diagnosed with ASD in the summer of 2011 (aged 34), but I go out and work to be able to buy CDs and digital music, legally.  And for the five years when I was a student, I could hardly afford to buy anything and had to go without; I did NOT go into shops and steal CDs, LPs and/or cassettes (in the pre-digital era, before the World Wide Web took off).  I had to learn to go without.  

Unfortunately, some of the youth of today seem to think everything should be free, usually whilst spouting nonsense about "socialism" and/or "communism", but at the same time are not prepared to produce anything themselves and share with others.  They expect others to slave over making music, films, TV programmes, books, etc, for no financial recompense, but are not prepared to do so themselves!

(Please excuse my moaning!  Fast approaching middle age, me, and very cynical!)