Should music piracy be legal or illegal?
1. Theft v Infringement: Ownership of Copyright is not the same as ownership of physical property, because copyright material is inexhaustable and un-crowdable – it can be reproduced endlessly and everyone can have it without it being taken from anyone else. Copyright as it exists today is a state granted monopoly on copying, just like medieval monopolies on miling corn or holding a market. It’s function is to incentivise the creation and distribution of copyright works. So the answer to your question shouldn’t be decided by name-calling or arguements about what is or isn’t stealing but by examining whether or not copyright is performing it’s function. 2. Artists and money: One common arguement in favour of copyright is that it’s the only way of paying artists for their work. However, the majority of profit in the film an music industries does not go to the artists, but to the companies – record labels and film studios. Just look at the standard copyright term – 75 years *after the dea
