Info-Tech Arts Assignment 1

By Elouisa Baan

S2702321

Subject: Info-Tech Arts

Course Code: 1712QCM

Word Count: 1,013

 
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Abstract: 

Music piracy is an everyday phrase in the 21st century, it is easily

accessible and provides its audience with the music that they
want/need. This paper will examine both the positives and negatives
that music piracy has on both the general public and the artists and
industry.

 
 
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Introduction: 
Music is a resource that is enjoyed everyday by millions of people all
over the world. However, are we legally and morally going the right
way about obtaining it? Music? Piracy is an epidemic that is rapidly
affecting the population of the 21st century, however it may be both
helping and harming society. Why? Is the music industry benefiting
from the free advertising and encouragement of listening music piracy
provides? This essay will explore this question throughout three key
points; the programs, and how does piracy advertise music to the
population.

Literary Review: 
Piracy is a phenomena that is affecting many different media in
today’s society. However, unlike pirated movies, TV shows or
software, the music industry is affected financially and
psychologically, due to piracy’s influence on the human population.
Unclear? Support this claimThis essay will explore if the music
industry is benefiting financially from the free advertising and the
encouragement of listening to music that piracy provides. Should be
in your intro?

Due to the vastness of the entertainment industry, many sources

were readily available about piracy and its effects. Many websites
provided information and opinions on the topic, and books defined its
growth and development through history. Journal articles, databases
and periodicals proved to be the most useful sources due to their
combination of information and opinions, and deconstruction of ideas

 
 
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and ethics behind the topic. You haven’t actually cited any sources
here?

Background: 
Music piracy can be defined as the general term referring to the illegal
duplication and distribution of sound recordings1. (not referenced in
apa format) It exists as the format that files are created in can be
copied and saved on other mediums. Piracy used to be only an issue
to the software company, however as technology advanced, it became
possible to burn not only computer files, but games, movies and
music as well. During the 1980’s, this became a huge issue for the
entertainment industry3.

Benefits and Losses: 
Though piracy is widely accepted as negative and controversial, (says
who – you haven’t cited any sources here) there are benefits to the
file sharing that may not have been taken into account before. The
general population gains the most from piracy, as it allows them to
download their favourite music free of charge from the comfort of
their own home. The music can also be spread far wider than it would
by CD sales due to the easy access and the availability of software
such as email, internet and USB’s. This allows music to be heard by
people who may not have the resources to access it initially, such as
radios, MTV or iTunes. This also pivots onto the only general benefit
of the recording industry, as the access to music helps to gather a fan
base for an artist. Although they may not have paid money to buy the
album, they may be inclined to buy merchandise or concert tickets.

 
 
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(haven’t supported any of the last paragraph with reference to

existing sources)

The negatives of downloading music can affect people in a more

physical way.?? The recording industry is said to lose approximately
$12.5 billion dollars a year due to illegal downloading4. Approximately
71060 jobs are lost in the United States of America, which leads to a
loss of $2.7 billion in workers earnings, and also a total of nearly $900
million in taxes4. It can also be a huge blow to the artist if a pre-
released recording goes viral. As a downloader the risks you run are
computer viruses, as file sharing programs link your computer to
hundreds of others and can transfer links and files as well as the mp3.
There are also moral and legal objectives to consider, as you may end
up being fined or charged with theft.

The Effect of the Internet: 
The internet may possibly be the main factor in the piracy epidemic.
Before the internet was so easily accessible, files had to be saved to a
medium such as a floppy disk, however with the introduction of email,
USB’s and file sharing programs, music piracy has spread all over the
world at an alarming rate. Information for just about anything can be
found on google, including the instructions on how to download music,
links to the sites and information on the songs and/or artists. E-mail
programs are constantly upgrading the strength of the messages and
allow huge amounts of megabytes to be attached and sent to multiple
addresses in the world. There are sites, however, which advertise the
music and allow people to purchase the music legally though credit
payment, such as local radio stations, the official websites of the
artists, the online iTunes music store, and sites such as

 
 
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buymusic.com2. apa style please – need to move beyond description

to analysis.

Piracy and Advertising: 
Music is advertised in many obvious formats such as television and
radio, however there are simple ways in which people hear about new
songs and artists which is possibly far more effective than the
stereotypical ways. Hearing a song on your friends iPod for instance
might encourage you to go search for it, however there are always
the negatives of buying an album or single through retail as the store
may not stock it, or could possibly be sold out. In remote areas it may
take a long time to drive out to a stockist, and this is where piracy
comes to the rescue. It is readily available anywhere you can get an
internet connection and generally accessible from home without
having to travel anywhere. It provides these benefits to the public
however benefits the industry through advertising as although a fan
may not have purchased the album, they have already heard the
music and would pay for a ticket to see the artist live or purchase
their merchandise. References?

 
 
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Conclusion:  

In conclusion, the music industry both gains and loses in different

respects through the sharing of music files. The financial loss, and the
amount of people who take music for granted are possibly the most
negative outcomes, however the illegal sharing has made the industry
larger by expanding to those who may not go out of their way to
obtain it. Music has been able to be heard by people who may not
have ready access to a radio, MTV, iTunes etc.  

It is therefore clear that the music industry does not benefit

financially from music piracy, however it does work well as an
advertising tool and encourages a greater audience throughout the
world.

Bibliography: reference list 
 
3
Al-Rafee, S. A (2002) Digital Piracy – Ethical Decision Making
University of Arkansas

Bishop, J. Who are the Pirates? The Politics of Piracy, Poverty and
Greed in a Globalized Music Market (2004) United Kingdom, Bowling
Green

Canadian Recording Industry Association, Threat of Piracy to the

Legitimate Industry (2006) retrieved April 2nd from www.cria.ca

Cole, G. Music Piracy- The IPFI Report (1999) London, Gramophone

Publications

Connor, L. Save the Music! We know the dangers of digital piracy;

Now whats the next step to fixing the problems? (2003) Tennessee,
CCM Communications
2
Ending Piracy: Legal Ways to Download Music (2003) New York.
American Federation of Musicians of the U.S and Canada

 
 
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Krasilovksy, M. W. (2003) This Business of Music – the definitive

guide to the music industry. New York, Billboard Books.

Nash, R. J. (2004) the Great Pictoral History of World Crime

Scarecrow Press.

Piracy of Digital Content (2009) from the Organisation for Economic

Co-Operation and Development www.oecd.org
4
Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA Comments on FCC
Decision Affirming Ability of ISPS to Address Piracy (2008) retrieved
2nd April 2010 from www.riaa.com
1
‘Music CD Industry’ from the ‘Recording Industry Association of
America’ http://www.soc.duke.edu/~s142tm01/piracyglossary.html
[26 April 2010]