While we were talking in class about the topic of illegal downloading of music/movies/media, I really began to think about how none of us felt “guilty” for committing these “crimes.” Why is that? Like we said, the only thing that may stop us from downloading music for free is the risk of getting a computer virus. Not one of us felt that we were negatively influencing artists or the music industry, etc.
I truly think the only thing that would change our minds would be to flat out show us how someone out there would be negatively impacted.
Maybe the government, or the music industry or the film industry could create advertisements warning against illegal downloading. These ads would not be vague, like “pirating is not a victimless crime”: it would be specific. Perhaps these ads could be “documentary” style, following a small artist who simply cannot make money off of his/her passion due to illegal sharing/downloading. We may be surprised by the influence that our activities have on a personal life, rather than assuming that concert sales, etc. will “make up” for our wrongdoings.
Another idea that may help eliminate illegal downloading would be to put the situation in a metaphor. When I think of intellectual property, I think about any work that I create (art, papers for school), NOT work that a music artist or film producer makes. Ads could say: “How would you feel if you wrote a paper for a scholarship, and then hundreds of other students were able to download your paper and use it for the same scholarship?” This makes you realize that the concept of intellectual property applies to everyone, even people in the music and film industries.
One last idea that I’ve come up with involves the big names themselves. People like Taylor Swift are assumed to be sitting on so much money, that it feels stupid to worry about the $10 she will lose out on an album when we illegally download it. But I am sure that it affects her too: maybe less so money-wise, and more so intellectual-property-wise. A big name like Taylor Swift could be interviewed, and explain in humble terms that her work is just as important to her (creatively & emotionally) as it was when she first started out. She could talk about how it still takes her just as much time to come up with lyrics as it did when she was a teenager. This type of talk would put an emotional value on the music, rather than a monetary value. When we buy an album, we will see it as a way of respecting an artist’s work that they put love, effort, and creativity into.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h0YFASOAvQ
ReplyDeleteI feel like this would interest you. This is an advertisement that used to be played during the trailers on videos/dvds (I believe the same campaign is still going on, actually) that incorporates a lot of the ideas that you discussed. By having it on the video/dvd itself, the message would be right in front of the person pirating the movie or copying the movie for others. The problems I see with the advertisements are that they might not get enough exposure plus people might just ignore them. I feel like the advertisements could be relativity effective if they are campaigned well enough.
Also, on the topic of Taylor Swift, there was big debate recent about Taylor Swift removing her music from Spotify due to a lack of due payment. While it doesn't quite deal with illegal downloading, per say, it does go into the lack of money artists are getting from free streaming sites, which also reflects the effect stealing the artist's music has on them. Without buying the albums, even if the artist is supported by a third party company, receiving the correct amount of money for the work and dedication put into the music creation is difficult, and can result in financial decline, even if it doesn't seem like it.
Also, here's some bonus '90s gold for you to enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up863eQKGUI
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ReplyDeleteHaley - we were both thinking the same way. One of my suggested ways was for the government (or other organizations) to educate people about how harmful illegal downloading is. As you mentioned, this would be helpful for those of us who often think of pirating media as a "victimless crime."
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm not so sure that big name musical celebrities would be willing to educate consumers. There's plenty of bands who have gotten angry and called for harsh punishments of people who illegally download their music. Sure, some musicians might be on board for the new approach. However, I think most wouldn't be willing to take the time to educate people and would rather spend their time/efforts prosecuting people who download illegally.
All of those ideas you presented are realistic and could definitely be implemented. The idea of the victimless crime really stuck out for me. Most everyone has downloaded a song or some other file that was intellectual property, yet somehow we're disconnected from the creator in the digital realm. With physical CDs and movies, you SEE who made the media and quality is associated before you even play it. The digital realm is seen as an open frontier, stressing community and sharing, but how do we put real, physical people into the conversation going on in the digital realm?
ReplyDeleteHaley, I really like how you related how intellectual property applies to everyone. It's easier for everyone to truly understand the significance of of the issue when they can see things from a different point of view that relates to them. I also found it interesting as well that no one from class really felt bad about partaking in illegal downloading. Personally, I don't do it because I'm afraid of getting viruses but I think the average user (myself included) doesn't even consider what's morally wrong about it.
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