Bull-ish.com

I still remember the first time I heard someone refer to downloading illegal music as "stealing music". It was some form of RIAA publication to make people aware that the music that they are downloading, for free is wrong. Since then the phrase "stealing music" has been used more frequently. It has almost become the common phrase for downloading or copying  copyright material. The term "stealing music" still makes my stomach turn every time I hear it. Basically because that is a false statement.

Yep I said it

Stealing Music is a lie!!!

Today, Im going to go to Walmart. I’m going to walk over to the electronics section and find Jay Z’s newest CD. Im going to pick it up and put it in my jacket and walk out of the store…without paying. I’m kidding, I wouldn’t do anything like that but that is what it means to steal music. You actually go to a store and pick up the cd and walk out without paying. That is stealing music.

When you download a song online, you are not stealing.

Why? I know what you’re thinking. You think I feel that if it isn’t a psychical item, like a CD I think it isn’t stealing. No that is not what Im getting at. I know you can steal virtual and digital items. It doesn’t matter what form the item comes in, what matters is how you are getting the item. The main simple fact about most music that is being downloaded is this…

The music that you are downloading has been made available to you.

It is there for you to download. That song is there with the sole purpose of people coming along and downloading it just like everything else on the Web. Its not like you hacked iTunes and are downloading songs that iTunes is expecting you to purchase…that would be stealing. But downloading some file that is made available for you to download is not stealing. I don’t care how illegal the file it, it is not stealing! Stop calling it "stealing music"

Thats not to say I think there is nothing wrong with illegally downloading music. Im not saying that. The RIAA and MPAA uses words like Stealing and Theft to let you know that it is wrong, but it is misleading.