NDSU should crack down on piracy
Finally, somebody is getting serious about piracy. While it’s embarrassing that NDSU ranks so high in the country for pirated music, it’s good the RIAA and ITS are taking initiatives to put a stop to it.
I don’t know why our generation and culture think we need to accumulate massive amounts of illegal music.
Maybe it’s the technology that enables us. More so, though, I think too many people have disrespect for the property of others and can’t put themselves in the shoes of recording artists.
When you are sitting on your computer, it’s easy to just take hundreds or thousands of songs off the Internet and not think about the consequences. But there are consequences for the recording artist. They lose CD sales and part of their livelihood.
Now some might argue recording artists make way too much money and aren’t going to suffer if some people download their songs as opposed to buying the CDs.
This might be true for many of the huge, nationally acclaimed artists, but there are a significant number of bands who don’t make much money, and every little CD sale helps.
But it’s not just the band that’s affected by pirated music. The RIAA claims that thousands of jobs have been lost because of declining CD sales. These lost jobs aren’t recording artists being forced out of work, but all the people behind producing, recording, editing, managing and selling CDs.
NDSU shouldn’t just crack down on pirated music, though.
If there is a way for the movie and television industry and ITS to work together to crack down on pirated films and shows, then go for it. Why stop at music? Piracy is piracy, no matter what is being stolen.
Of course, piracy isn’t always so black and white. Many artists put songs on the internet for free, and some even declare they don’t care if people download their music.
And, is there a difference between somebody who downloads a few songs illegally as a way of “trying out” a band before they purchase the CD and somebody who downloads many songs but never buys a CD?
I think there is. So in general, I think if you are enjoying the benefits of music, but not paying your fair share into the industry, you are doing something wrong.
I don’t have much sympathy for any student who is caught downloading illegal music and is forced to delete the songs from their computer and suffer whatever other consequences there are.
NDSU students need to gain a greater respect and appreciation for the work of others.
The industry can’t sustain itself without music sales. So set your greed aside and support the artists.
Dennis is a senior studying management communication.
Columnists' opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of The Spectrum