is downloading music a sin?

[YourChild]

Is downloading music from limewire (or similar programs) considered stealing?

some say its sharing....but lets says someone originally buys the album...then strips it and converts it into mp3 format and puts it on limewire to share it....that would be ok if the music they originally purchased was not copyrighted, right?

and since every song sold on the market is copyrighted, wouldnt that be stealing if we all each get a copy of these songs for free?

And if downloading these songs is stealing, then pretty much, you should whipe out all your mp3 files on your pc, whether you downloaded it or someone gave it to you (because that mp3 originally came from limewire (or the like program).

 

[Digit]

Yes it is I'm afraid. Please see the post here from my wife, she pretty much nails it, and also the OPs response.

Cheers!
Digit

 

[Fed]

What's the difference between downloading music and borrowing a friend's legal cd and ripping it to your computer? Why isn't the latter frowned upon?

 

[tqpix]

What's the difference between downloading music and borrowing a friend's legal cd and ripping it to your computer? Why isn't the latter frowned upon?

Both of them should be wrong.

 

[Digit]

What's the difference between downloading music and borrowing a friend's legal cd and ripping it to your computer? Why isn't the latter frowned upon?

It is frowned upon, and if it isn't, it should be.

Digit

 

[Citanul]

What about downloading albums that are out of print? I don't have that much downloaded music, but most of the albums I have downloaded fall into that category (the others were made available for download by the artists concerned, so there are obviously no problems there).

I have since managed to track down some of the albums I've downloaded, but at the time I downloaded them I couldn't find anywhere where I could buy them. It's not as though I was downloading the music instead of buying it - I couldn't buy it.

 

[Digit]

What about downloading albums that are out of print? I don't have that much downloaded music, but most of the albums I have downloaded fall into that category (the others were made available for download by the artists concerned, so there are obviously no problems there).

I have since managed to track down some of the albums I've downloaded, but at the time I downloaded them I couldn't find anywhere where I could buy them. It's not as though I was downloading the music instead of buying it - I couldn't buy it.

It depends if it's under copyright law still, unless it's been released as free material, it still belongs to someone and it's still stealing. Remember, we are to uphold the common law of the land, ASWELL as God's laws, unless they lead us to sin against God.

Cheers!
Digit

 

[jpzer01]

It has been proven that piracy has no negative impact on the record industry.

So in front of God that isn't a sin AFAIC, even more so as piracy is indeed a form of sharing.

However, it is illegal and God expects you to follow the law. Too bad you don't live in Canada.

 

[Digit]

Hello jpzer01,

It has been proven that piracy has no negative impact on the record industry.

Please can you provide a source for this so we can read it, as I don't find this to be true. I find one article here that talks about it yet it's not conclusive as there are still more studies that show it does have a negative effect, compared to just two studies which show the exact opposite. I almost think people are seeing what they wish to see, and we need a third impartial party to do a seperate study.

So in front of God that isn't a sin AFAIC

It's a sin because it is theft, regardless of any perceived harm or not.

even more so as piracy is indeed a form of sharing.

That doesn't exclude it from being sinful. You cannot say that sharing is good in all cases, and as such God condones such behaviour. Sharing of stolen property is not a good practice. It's propigating theft, which is a sin.

However, it is illegal and God expects you to follow the law. Too bad you don't live in Canada.

You cannot wiggle out of theft by living somewhere where the law of man says it's ok, as God's law still maintains that it's theft. Please read my posts above.

Cheers,
Digit

 

[GoodNewsJim]

If you're breaking the law, you're sinning.

So yes pirating music is a sin.

But seriously, what music are you downloading? Is it secular music which generally denounces God in various ways or is it Christian music?

You do know that in the Bible: the temple musicians went home and took up farming because they weren't paid enough.

So you see: Pay for good Christian music that praises God in song.
Don't buy, don't even download garbage music that gets stuck in your head and is against God by glorifying things of this world.

 

[jpzer01]

Hello jpzer01,


Please can you provide a source for this so we can read it, as I don't find this to be true. I find one articlethat talks about it yet it's not conclusive as there are still more studies that show it does have a negative effect, compared to just two studies which show the exact opposite. I almost think people are seeing what they wish to see, and we need a third impartial party to do a seperate study.


It's a sin because it is theft, regardless of any perceived harm or not.


That doesn't exclude it from being sinful. You cannot say that sharing is good in all cases, and as such God condones such behaviour. Sharing of stolen property is not a good practice. It's propigating theft, which is a sin.


You cannot wiggle out of theft by living somewhere where the law of man says it's ok, as God's law still maintains that it's theft. Please read my posts above.

Cheers,
Digit

The original distributer has the property and shares this property on the internet.

Kinda like Jesus fed the people by multiplying the bread.

It is only illegal in some countries because of some unjustified economic concern.

and for a link, I do not have permission to post them.

 

[lmnop9876]

i download a lot of music, but all of it legally.

i wouldn't consider file sharing stealing, as it is the equivalent of turning your music up so you and your friend can hear it. if you were to do that, would you classify it as "public broadcasting" or anything other than private use? however, if you retain a permanent copy of that music on CD, mp3 player, or whatever, then i believe that would technically be stealing.

 

[Digit]

i download a lot of music, but all of it legally.

i wouldn't consider file sharing stealing, as it is the equivalent of turning your music up so you and your friend can hear it. if you were to do that, would you classify it as "public broadcasting" or anything other than private use? however, if you retain a permanent copy of that music on CD, mp3 player, or whatever, then i believe that would technically be stealing.

I agree with this apart from the sharing issue. The equivalent of turning your music up so your friend can hear it, is turning your music up so they can hear it. Downloading stolen music, is not the same I'm afraid.

Digit

 

[lmnop9876]

I agree with this apart from the sharing issue. The equivalent of turning your music up so your friend can hear it, is turning your music up so they can hear it. Downloading stolen music, is not the same I'm afraid.

Digit

well, let's say I have a CD. i want to listen to it on my mp3 player, and my friend wants to listen to it too, to decide if he will buy it or not. so i copy it to my mp3 player for personal use, and lend him the CD. he listens to the CD once, and then returns it to me. is that also stealing? if he makes a copy of it, yes. if he doesn't, then i don't believe it is. it's not up to the person sharing the music whether someone else retains a permanent copy or not, that is their own personal choice, so the person sharing it can't be held responsibile for it. imo, digital music sharing (so long as permanent copies of the files aren't made) is equivalent to this process.

 

[Digit]

The original distributer has the property and shares this property on the internet.

Yeah we understand this, however due to common law, this is not allowed, because the owner and creator of the music has protected his music. It's not called "copyright" for no reason, it's called it because it protects the works from being copied, unless the person has a right to do, when you purchase an album, you obtain a license in a sense to listen to that music. When you share music, and download it, you have no paid to obtain your license to listen to it, you are getting it sans (without) license, and that is illegal. Just as unlicensed firearms are illegal, or an unlicensed driver is illegal.

Kinda like Jesus fed the people by multiplying the bread.

Jesus performing miracles, is in now way comparable to the illegal downloading of music I'm afraid.

It is only illegal in some countries because of some unjustified economic concern.

It's only legal in some countries due to copyright law loopholes, like Russia for example.

and for a link, I do not have permission to post them.

Just write it out then, makes no difference. I really hate that rule, seems a little restrictive. >_>

Digit

 

[Digit]

well, let's say I have a CD. i want to listen to it on my mp3 player, and my friend wants to listen to it too, to decide if he will buy it or not. so i copy it to my mp3 player for personal use, and lend him the CD. he listens to the CD once, and then returns it to me. is that also stealing?

That's tricky, I'm not sure if it falls under fair use or not, I imagine it would. However I know from a computer game point of view, you cannot run two copies of a single game at the same time, as that is illegal. You have permission to run one, unless the terms and conditions state otherwise, or the developer (eg. Blizzard) include a multiplayer spawn option.

it's not up to the person sharing the music whether someone else retains a permanent copy or not, that is their own personal choice,

Yes it is, they don't have the right to distribute the music in that way. Do you see retailers handing out burned albums for people to try? No, why not? Because it's illegal.

So the person sharing it can't be held responsibile for it.

Actually they can, in any country where music copyright laws exist in the common sense we are talking about them, you can be held accountable for the crime you are committing, and would be elligable for jail time and damages paid to the artist or owner of the works/the record label.

imo, digital music sharing (so long as permanent copies of the files aren't made) is equivalent to this process.

Well, I would encourage you to think on this, as it's a very convenient way to justify it, but it isn't right and it most certainly won't stand up in court if ever you are caught. Piracy is only justified in such a way, because people aren't likely to ever get caught. Yet you wouldn't walk into a record store and pick up an album and walk out, because you would most likely get caught. The only difference is the anonymity the internet provides.

Digit