Hi all! Let me ask you a question. Most of you, I'm sure, are downloading stuff online for free. computer games, radio shows, movies, shows, through torrents.
Now, if there was no torrent, you'd probably buy most of this stuff, right? If you can buy a book on Amazon, or a book store, but it's also free for download... you'd download it. If a show is available in a 7$ podcast, but also free on torrent, you'd download it for free.
Now, you don't cause losses to anybody, because you don't take a produced object and remove it. But you deliberately get, for free, something that you would have bought. The more this stuff is out there for free, the more you hurt people you like. Singers you like, games producers you like, etc.
Are you thieves?
Oh, and I do the same. But it's still worth struggling with the question.
Comments
The only time I download free music to keep is when I can't find a copy to download on itunes or whatever. So if its not available to buy, I have to download it if I want it.
Then I use torrents to try an album out too, if I don't like it, I delete it. If I do, I buy the CD. Saves me buying a CD and never listening.
I used to in the past a lot more but these days I like to support the people making these things, I think sharing among friends is all well and good but piracy on a large scale is kind of bad...
I'll admit like Rich though, if something is hard to find I'll try to track it down whatever way I can. Sometimes it's just too convenient.
Then I use torrents to try an album out too, if I don't like it, I delete it. If I do, I buy the CD. Saves me buying a CD and never listening.