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Undocumented Music Owners Protest
Crackdown Against Illegal Downloading
by Lefty Paige
In a little publicized protest yesterday, undocumented music
owners gathered together in the streets of New York city to
protest laws that make illegal downloading a criminal offense.
Free Music for Everyone?
“Just because we do not have receipts for this music does not
makes us criminals,” said the leader of the organization, who
preferred not to be named. “It is unfair and racist to suggest that
just because we don’t obtain our music through the normal – and
expensive – channels, that somehow we are bad people.”
“Everyone in America has the right to own music, regardless of
their economic situation,” said another protestor. “Receipts
shouldn’t prove ownership. Liking the music should.”
One Democratic senator from New York was there to lend his
support to the group. “These are not bad people,” said the Senator
who asked that he not be named. “These undocumented music
owners help the economy by listening to the music Americans
don't want.
No Receipt, No Ownership
Others had harsher words for undocumented music owners
rights. “‘Undocumented’ is a euphemism, said one attorney for
the entertainment industry. “They don’t have receipts because
they didn’t purchase the music. They stole it. It’s against the law
and it should stay against the law.”
Opponents say that undocumented listeners hurt the listening
opportunities of lower-income families. “When people download
music illegally, the music companies have to make up for the
losses with higher prices,” said the attorney. “The rest of us are
subsidizing this theft. But even worse than that, it prices music
out of the reach of the poorest Americans.”
--continued below--
Crackdown Against Illegal Downloading
by Lefty Paige
In a little publicized protest yesterday, undocumented music
owners gathered together in the streets of New York city to
protest laws that make illegal downloading a criminal offense.
Free Music for Everyone?
“Just because we do not have receipts for this music does not
makes us criminals,” said the leader of the organization, who
preferred not to be named. “It is unfair and racist to suggest that
just because we don’t obtain our music through the normal – and
expensive – channels, that somehow we are bad people.”
“Everyone in America has the right to own music, regardless of
their economic situation,” said another protestor. “Receipts
shouldn’t prove ownership. Liking the music should.”
One Democratic senator from New York was there to lend his
support to the group. “These are not bad people,” said the Senator
who asked that he not be named. “These undocumented music
owners help the economy by listening to the music Americans
don't want.
No Receipt, No Ownership
Others had harsher words for undocumented music owners
rights. “‘Undocumented’ is a euphemism, said one attorney for
the entertainment industry. “They don’t have receipts because
they didn’t purchase the music. They stole it. It’s against the law
and it should stay against the law.”
Opponents say that undocumented listeners hurt the listening
opportunities of lower-income families. “When people download
music illegally, the music companies have to make up for the
losses with higher prices,” said the attorney. “The rest of us are
subsidizing this theft. But even worse than that, it prices music
out of the reach of the poorest Americans.”
--continued below--
Illegal Downloading Amnesty
Democratic lawmakers are scrambling to introduce an bill that
would forgive past acts of illegal downloading, but they insist it is
not an amnesty program.
“This isn’t amnesty,” said one lawmaker. “We’re simply
announcing to the world that until this bill goes into effect, we will
not prosecute anyone who downloads music illegally. Instead, all
those music owners will have to pay a one-time, one dollar fine in
order to receive receipts for the songs they downloaded.”
“These undocumented music owners are people who are just
trying to improve the listening opportunities for their families,” said
the lawmaker from New York who plans to introduce the bill. “To
call them thieves just because they didn’t ‘pay’ for the music is
mean. After all, some of them risked being caught when they
downloaded the music. It goes to show just how bad they wanted
it. We should take pride in the fact that our music here is so good
people want to take it even when they can’t afford it – not try and
criminalize that behavior as theft.”
Democratic lawmakers are scrambling to introduce an bill that
would forgive past acts of illegal downloading, but they insist it is
not an amnesty program.
“This isn’t amnesty,” said one lawmaker. “We’re simply
announcing to the world that until this bill goes into effect, we will
not prosecute anyone who downloads music illegally. Instead, all
those music owners will have to pay a one-time, one dollar fine in
order to receive receipts for the songs they downloaded.”
“These undocumented music owners are people who are just
trying to improve the listening opportunities for their families,” said
the lawmaker from New York who plans to introduce the bill. “To
call them thieves just because they didn’t ‘pay’ for the music is
mean. After all, some of them risked being caught when they
downloaded the music. It goes to show just how bad they wanted
it. We should take pride in the fact that our music here is so good
people want to take it even when they can’t afford it – not try and
criminalize that behavior as theft.”
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