If downloading publicly available songs off the internet is stealing then why aren’t the record producers banning tape decks off of stereo systems? If its stealing to download music off the internet then it would be stealing to record songs from radio stations off the radio. Also the principal would apply to movies that you record off the VCR or DVD recorder for tv shows. They ALL say not to record the shows but yet everybody who buys a VCR or a DVD recorder will be breaking the law and stealing it too.
It’s not stealing to listen to it for your personal pleasure. If however you were to make a bunch of copies and SELL them… then yes it would sinful.
Child of Mary:
First, I know of no TV shows which do not allow the copying of the TV show for private use. TV shows make their money by the sale of time to people who run commercials during their shows. Artists are relying on the sale of CD’s, Cassettes and DVD’s. Most still don’t make money from touring - They tour to promote the sale of their CD’s and DVD’s. So, They rely on the sale of CD’s, Cassetes and DVD’s to make their living, unlike the TV shows which make their living selling commercial time.
Now, we’re only discussing songs that are not part of the Public Domain, which still have the artists’ trademark and to which artists should be paid royalties. As I said, this is how these artists make their living.
Music which is in the Public Domain can be copied at will. Artists aren’t relying on this to make their living.
Music copied from Radio Broadcasts is always more or less distorted and loses some of the qualities of the original. Copies of this will be more distorted and lose even more of the qualities of the original. And, This distortion and lose of sound quality would make the next generation unlistenable or intorable to listen to.
The same is true of Videotape of a bradcast taken from the public airwaves - The copy of that broadcast would be acceptable (but probable not as good as a VHS you could buy or rent). But, the copy of that copy would be mediocre at best, and the copy of the third copy wouldn’t be watchable at all.
This is not true of Digital reproductions of Digitally Formatted Audio and Video Recordings, which don’t deteriorate as you copy them, even if you reproduce copies of copies of copies. Even 5th and 7th generation reproductions of digitally formatted video and audio recordings will have the same properties and be of the same quality as the original.
Because of the low quality and the distortion in the copies, there isn’t a market for tapes of broadcasts of music and TV shows from the public airwaves. While there is one for CD’s and DVD’s reproduced from Digital records of songs and movies. Because of this, the first isn’t a threat to the income of artists who need to sell CD’s, Cassettes and DVD’s. The other could drive more than a few of them into bankrupcy.
Scripture says that the workman is worth his hire and that you should not keep the wages that a worker has earned from him.
In this case, the workers are the people who write and perform the songs you’re downloading from the internet.
Your Brother in Christ, Michael
