Let the piracy wars begin. Again.

With only a year to mourn the loss of popular file-sharing program Limewire, music enthusiasts refuse to surrender their latest method to obtain free tunes – MP3 conversion sites.

More than 3 million people have signed a petition drafted by YouTube-mp3.org owner Philip Matesanz, whose site, among others, received a cease-and-desist letter from Google earlier this year, TorrentFreak reports. The site allows users to rip MP3 audio from YouTube videos for free.

Matesanz’s petition entreats Google to an open discussion where each party can find a solution to the issue. As of now, YouTube-mp3.org is functional and has not been sued by Google, as the letter threatened.

Lauren Mire, political science freshman, said she uses MP3 conversion sites on a daily basis and would be devastated if they were forced to shut down.

“I definitely wouldn’t like that because a lot of my music comes from Youtube,” she said.

While Mire said she believes using conversion tools is a form of stealing, she said she mainly uses them for convenience. If MP3 conversion sites were banned, she said she would start paying for her music.

Rogelio Gomez, chemical engineering sophomore, said shutting down MP3 conversion sites would only prompt users to find alternative sources of free music.

Gomez, who said he also regularly uses MP3 conversion sites, sided with Google, saying YouTube has the right to combat any abuse or misuse of its services.

“It’s illegal,” he said. “They have the right to charge for their music.”

Youtube-mp3.org has no grounds to stand on and will probably shut down in the near future, Gomez said. He said the best way to listen to free music would be through streaming sites like Grooveshark and Spotify.

In an open letter to his Youtube-mp3 users, Matesanz argued that Google is being hypocritical since the company’s Google Books service scans books without publisher or author consent. He said his service is similar in practice and no different from using video recorders for home movies.

Matesanz also said his site was “user-oriented” and not made solely for profit.

Hillary Thompson, dietetics junior, said she doesn’t understand why Google is going to such great lengths to stop conversion practices. She said if the conversion sites aren’t seeking profit, it should not be a pertinent dilemma for the search giant.

“I’m not going to say it’s OK to steal people’ s stuff, but if they are not making a profit, it looks much better,” she said.

While Thompson said she does not use conversion sites, she does frequent YouTube to stream music. She said she is surprised the company has any issues with piracy as most users are conscious of its copyright laws.

Thompson said she is unsure where her loyalties lie in the Google and Youtube-mp3.org dispute, but she would not sign the petition. She said she believes the controversy surrounding the issue will pass and these sites will stay intact.

“I wouldn’t say no, but I wouldn’t say yes,” she said. “It’s just like politics — I’d stay away from it.”

‘I’m not going to say it’s OK to steal people’s stuff , but if they are not making a pro t, it looks much better.’