Copyright?

I update my iPod once every two weeks. When Limewire stopped working, and I wasn't sure of another place to download music, I started buying my songs from iTunes. This was very annoying to me that I had to pay for the songs, when I usually just download them for free. I thought it was ridiculous to pay $1.29 for a song. Luckily, I now have Frostwire on my computer, so that is where I can download my music for free now. What is the point of all this?

I shouldn't have been irritated that I had to pay for the music. The artists who recorded these songs have a copyright on them. Every time I download music from Frostwire, I am technically stealing these songs. This has become such a habit for me, and so many others. When we actually have to pay for our music, it becomes and issue to us because we are so use to getting it for free.

I think because of the freedom of the Internet, copyright laws seemed diminished for awhile. It seems like now they are trying to reinforce these laws, but I think hackers have found some other ways around it. I think that no matter what, there will always be some way to download free music and movies, it will just depend on how badly we want these things for free.

I am pretty much a hypocrite when it comes to this topic. I don't think its right that we have the opportunity to download movies and music for free, when the artists put so much work into them. I don't think its right, but then again, I still download free stuff every chance I get. According to Lessig, "Whenever I take something of value from someone else, I should have their permission." Since these artists haven't given us permission to download their music or movies, we are technically stealing from them, which is wrong.

Will this make you stop? Or will you continue to get what you can get for free?