File Sharing Programs (Limewire, Bearshare, Kazaa, etc.)

Since the late 1990’s, people have been sharing information. It’s the reason why the internet was invented. People inherently wish to communicate, share, and learn as fast as they can. The internet has expanded to enormous proportions when compared to the internet of the early 1990’s. There are many programs out there that give people access to free music, movies, and other programs. These programs have become popular, but also a target for viruses and spyware.

            According to Wikipedia, 20% of Europeans use file sharing to get music, while only 10% buy music online. This is alarming for record companies because that’s millions of dollars of music not being paid for. Music companies are against the free file sharing because it cuts into their and the artist’s profits. Opponents further argue that copyright creates an incentive for the creation of works. As such, it is important that it be respected, so that creative people are encouraged to create work that benefits society. Some artists feel that they are being cheated out of the monetary incentive to publish music.

But there is also a strong pro-sharing side. In the case of music, another argument is the alleged overpricing of CDs. Many consumers feel that CDs are far too expensive relative to decreasing costs of production. Consumers who only want one or two songs that have not been released as singles believe they should not have to pay the entire cost of a CD. They claim that the file sharing allows people to sample lower quality of music which results in a rise in sales.