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Free For All?

March 01, 2011

An article worth reading, “Illegal downloading: The real cost of ‘free’ music,” appeared this week in Boise State University’s official student newspaper, The Arbiter. The piece addresses both the tangible and moral issues surrounding illegal downloading, including the revenue, investment and American jobs lost to digital music theft as well as what should be a fundamental right of musicians and the music community: compensation for the content they create that is used and enjoyed by others. From the story:

Most people wouldn’t go out and steal a shirt from a retailer, or steal a car from a car dealer. These people are causing others not to make the money they worked hard for and deserve.

We applaud The Arbiter for publishing this thoughtful piece and encouraging college students to think twice about who pays when music is stolen. While we understand that there is no single solution to cracking the piracy problem, the mounting recognition that music and other content creators deserve to be compensated for their work is certainly one essential component.

Liz Kennedy, Deputy Director, Communications, RIAA