Intellectual property has become a hot potato nowadays, and actors, actresses, and musicians are publicly lamenting people's lack of morality, and urges people to stop downloading movies and music from the Internet, and purchase them rightfully. Against this, people are insisting 'copyleft', a movement to make all the information available to the public. However, I think and feel that information should never be free, and people should not feel regret about paying for intellectual property.
In my personal point of view, payment is the most direct way of showing appreciation for something. If one thinks that a piece of clothing or a furniture is worthy, he would have no hesitation in paying for it. The same should be applied to intellectual property. If one thinks that a song or a movie is worthy, he should pay for it, ultimately contributing to the growth of the industry. If people stopped paying for music or a movie, the industry will not be able to attract much talented artists, and the overall quality of the products that people are served will decline.
Secondly, I would like to emphasize that downloading intellectual property illegally is, though in abstract form, theft. Like a chair was made with wood in the hand of a carpenter, music was created with extreme efforts, by a skilled musician, employing much time, thoughts, and facilities. People tend to feel much more guilt for tangible property, but illegally copying and distributing intellectual property is clearly, a crime. It's just that people tend to feel less guilty because it's so easy. Because something is easy does not alleviate the seriousness of a crime.
Lastly, the music industry and the movie industry are industries with many people working in it. When a singer releases her CD, it has not been made by herself. There are many people who have contributed to that piece of CD, and by purchasing the CD, the buyer is giving credit and contributing for the payment of all those who have participated in making that CD. I realize that these people are much neglected, yet they are real people who are impacted by online piracy.
To sum up, I am a personal believer of the notion that "good things and good labor must be purchased with sufficient amount of money". Electronic art must never be free, and people should not show hesitation in paying for a film or a music, and consider intellectual property theft with the same gravity of considering actual theft.
Gayoung Kim | Your argument is quite strong and rough, but the writing is well-organized and the sentences seem simple and clear. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHello. I enjoyed your essay. I agree with you that paying the money is the fast and direct way to protect coypyright. Your essay has five paragrpahs and each has thesis statements. However, I had trouble to understand the third body paragraph. Let's care about not only singer but also other people reltaed with music industry is your opinion? Thank you.
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