Downloading Copyrighted Music: Legal or Illegal

Downloading Copyright Music: Legal or Illegal Illegally downloading music of the internet for free is a huge controversy in this day and age. Many people fight that the music was bought at one time so they are not hurting anyone. Companies and musicians on the other hand, have a different view about downloading this music for free. They argue that have made this music and people are downloading it off the internet instead of buying it from a store. Sales in the music industry have gone down as a result, a twenty percent loss globally since 1999. The music industry is suffering greatly from people downloading music off the internet, so are the musicians who make their living from selling their music, and if you do download music do you know what the consequences are when you get caught? In the past four years downloading music off the internet has cost the music industry nearly twelve billion dollars in profit. This is do to the fact that is much easier, and free, to go on your computer and download the music rather than going to the store and paying for it. Even though this seems like a good way to listen to your music you stop and think “is this the right thing to do or not?” Let’s face it, this is stealing a musicians music and stealing is wrong, and illegal, by all means. If you love the music, or the musician, then why would you want to steal from them? Being a musician is a job just like any other; these musicians have worked hard to produce this music and are trying to make a living for themselves just like everyone else. When you are downloading music it is a big deal because not all musicians are millionaires like the ones you see on television. They are just like you and you could be taking food off their tables just by a simple click of the mouse. Also, how you feel if someone was stealing from you mother or father and you were not able to get some of the things you wanted as a result of it. Musicians have families too and by taking the music they