Ekade has nothing on this...

[Krusshyk]

Justify it however you like...whatever helps you sleep at night.

Just because no one bought the bag of M&M's at the grocery store when you saw them doesn't mean that no one would ever buy them...would you take those on the same principle?

And the "forcing me to buy a whole cd" thing...so SNAP! showed up at your house and forced you at knife point to buy a cd? Wow. I wish bands would do that to me. Like if Cameo showed up and made me buy the whole album with "Word Up" on it, I would be stoked.

I will never understand people trying to justify downloading music I guess.

I Justify it this way, they make too much money, I mean look at them and all that crap a few million songs not bought didnt hurt them, and if it did who cares they got more money then most small countries, its not stealing in my eyes..its more like taking what i want from people who have too much

Interesting point of view. So if a homeless guy takes your wallet, it isn't stealing because obivously you have too much money. I mean come on...you have a house, a car most likely, and a computer with an internet connection. He has nothing. Clearly you make too much money and that homeless guy has every right to take money from you because "hey...some people just make too damn much money". It isn't worth Bill Gates' time to actually bend over and pick up a 100 dollar bill, so its ok for me to take money from him?

What kind of logic is that?

Imagine a painter or a writer produces something, say a piece of artwork or a book and someone gets their hands on a copy of it and just starts passing it out. So if the artist or writer is poor, then it is wrong, because poorer people deserve to be paid for their intellectual property but richer people don't?

That is some seriously flawed thinking if you ask me.

[Shadowpaw]

/target Krusshyk
/agree

I've used this example with other people...

There are hundreds of thousands of people in America who have, for lack of a better word, "faulty" organs. The list for a kidney transplant is ridiculous. So it would be ok to force a healthy person to donate a kidney because they have 2 and he/she can live with only one? I disagree.

[X'an Shin]

You guys have compelling arguments about wallets and organs.

Hang on, I have to go throw out all of the mix tapes my wife made for me while in college.

[Seret Sajet]

Oh boy a rant. I love these.

/raises hand

But seriously folks. How far are we talking about taking music downloads?
Are we talking downloading hundreds of songs, burning them to CD and then sellling them on a street corner along with some genuine gold-plated necklaces? Are we talking about downloading full albums instead of buying them? Are we talking about downloading a song so you can have it on your hard drive at work and keep the CD you bought in your car? There are different degrees to this. You can generalize the law but not people.

Now, when I buy a car I want to test drive it. When I buy a house and I want to look around the model. Some of us want to try out a few songs off a CD before we buy. I personally won't buy a CD unless there is at least 3 songs that I have already heard and liked. Some people download music AND buy the music at the same time.

Is it illegal? Yes, I'm afraid it is. Can you justify it against the law? No, you cannot. Will I lose sleep and feel like I have wronged the music industry? Nope, I'm afraid not. Its easier to just come to grips with the reality of the situation and accept that what you are doing may be condoned by society in general but not by law. The more you try to justify it the deeper you get.

Ask yourself who are you justifiying it to? Society? This Forum? The Music Industry? Maybe, but chances are you're just justifiying it for yourself.

[Krusshyk]

You guys have compelling arguments about wallets and organs.

Hang on, I have to go throw out all of the mix tapes my wife made for me while in college.

So the wallets and organs are sacred, but not books or paintings? Or are artistic (musical or other wise) aspriations not protected by the same common sense law about "it's not ok to take things you weren't given permission to"?

It all goes back to Red vs Blue's "real life vs the internet"...

"I don't want it to be illegal, therefore it isn't illegal"

I am doooooone.

[X'an Shin]

You guys have compelling arguments about wallets and organs.

Hang on, I have to go throw out all of the mix tapes my wife made for me while in college.

So the wallets and organs are sacred, but not books or paintings? Or are artistic (musical or other wise) aspriations not protected by the same common sense law about "it's not ok to take things you weren't given permission to"?

It all goes back to Red vs Blue's "real life vs the internet"...

"I don't want it to be illegal, therefore it isn't illegal"

I am doooooone.

Ha ha I love Real Life vs. The Internet.

I'm only saying that if you've ever accepted a single mix tape or CD, or even one free song, Krush, I'd like you to go turn yourself in to the authorities.

Y'know, that whole glass houses/throwing stones thing ;P

[KirtViza]

Justify it however you like...whatever helps you sleep at night.

Just because no one bought the bag of M&M's at the grocery store when you saw them doesn't mean that no one would ever buy them...would you take those on the same principle?

And the "forcing me to buy a whole cd" thing...so SNAP! showed up at your house and forced you at knife point to buy a cd? Wow. I wish bands would do that to me. Like if Cameo showed up and made me buy the whole album with "Word Up" on it, I would be stoked.

I will never understand people trying to justify downloading music I guess.

I Justify it this way, they make too much money, I mean look at them and all that crap a few million songs not bought didnt hurt them, and if it did who cares they got more money then most small countries, its not stealing in my eyes..its more like taking what i want from people who have too much

Interesting point of view. So if a homeless guy takes your wallet, it isn't stealing because obivously you have too much money. I mean come on...you have a house, a car most likely, and a computer with an internet connection. He has nothing. Clearly you make too much money and that homeless guy has every right to take money from you because "hey...some people just make too damn much money". It isn't worth Bill Gates' time to actually bend over and pick up a 100 dollar bill, so its ok for me to take money from him?

What kind of logic is that?

Imagine a painter or a writer produces something, say a piece of artwork or a book and someone gets their hands on a copy of it and just starts passing it out. So if the artist or writer is poor, then it is wrong, because poorer people deserve to be paid for their intellectual property but richer people don't?

That is some seriously flawed thinking if you ask me.

A bum wouldnt have to take my wallet :-P cause I do help them out, I have made lunch for homeless people, I would never give them money.
As for your comment tho if I had millions apon millions and had enough money to the point no one in my family would ever have to work, then yes a lesser soul deserves my money due to the fact that I have way too much. I do believe there should be a CAP! on the amount of money any said person can have once that cap is reached the TAXES on your income Double, and you cannot recive that amount back. kinda like what kerry said but im talking about if you make 600k a year or over then your ass gets biten hard. thats just me tho