The Facts: The record industry loses $12.5 billion per year on music piracy. In the 2007-2008 academic year, the RIAA filed 143 federal lawsuits against N.C. State students.
Our Opinion: Music piracy has become almost ubiquitous with college life. Whether students’ moral compass considers this a problem should be up to them. But at the very least, students should sit down and give a second thought before they click ‘save.’ The Institute for Policy Innovation, a conservative advocacy group, estimated that global music piracy costs $12.5 billion in economic losses every year. Speaking in earnest, the problem is widespread and hasn’t seen any notable decline since the record companies began fiercely litigating illegal downloads, despite strong efforts to curb digital piracy by the Recording Institute Association America. The problem is particularly troubling at N.C. State, where 143 federal lawsuits were filed against University students during the 2007-2008 academic year. The cost to settle those violations with the RIAA approached $1 million. This is a troubling trend and could present serious legal trouble for students. They should consider taking a step back to consider their music procuring habits. Illegally downloaded music is a reality, especially at a college campus in these thin economic times. But if students are going to download illegally, they should consider the consequences and who their action is affecting. The Radioheads and Coldplays of the world aren’t going to be financially affected by a few downloads ‘on the house.’ But local bandsor other small and up-incoming acts might suffer by the loss of fans’ patronage. At the very least, consider supporting music in other ways. It may sound contrary, or insignificant, but supporting music through other means can make or break local acts. Think about going to a concert at The Pour House, The Brewery, Cat’s Cradle or Local 506; consider downloading the album of a band you support through iTunes or some other legal means. The consequences of the Digital Millennia Copyright Act are very clear. If students share music – as in, upload it – there is a good chance the University will receive a DMCA notification and be forced to share their information. Students should take the time to ascertain whether they are violating the law. In many cases, such as Limewire file-sharing, students may be completely unaware they are doing anything wrong. Saying the RIAA has any legitimate chance to eliminate music piracy is unrealistic, therefore the onus moves to fans to do what they think is right.
