What is File sharing?
The Internet has made it extremely easy to share music, films and images with friends and family. Websites such as Kazaa, that offer file-sharing services, are very popular and have millions of users all over the world.
To join in, a would-be file-sharer goes to a website and downloads its file sharing software onto his or her computer. This software will then create a “shared media” folder on their PC which opens it up to fellow file-sharers. The individuals can then exchange photos and videos, as well as music, software and games, directly between their PC and other file sharers.
There are benefits to file-sharing – for example, you could make your own created music available to millions of people. But there are real risks too.
What are the risks involved in File-Sharing?
HARMFUL CONTENT/CONTACT
The greatest risk to children and young people using file sharing software is unwelcome content, such as pornographic or violent images. File-sharing software can also allow users to chat to other file-sharers, most of them strangers.
PRIVACY AND SECURITY
File-sharing software can compromise your privacy and security. The biggest pest is spyware – little software programs that are downloaded with media files or “bundled” with file-sharing software.
By file-sharing you can inadvertently share more of your computer files with other file-sharers than you mean to. This could include confidential information such as financial records.
File-sharers’ computers are also more vulnerable to the viruses infecting other machines on the network.
What is illegal and what is legal when copying music over the Internet?
File-sharing has recently received a lot of media attention because of the illegality of sharing copyrighted music and film over the web. In the last few years, thousands of file-sharers all over the world have been sued by the recording and film industries – and many have paid big fines.
Apart from the security risks outlined earlier, there is no problem if you are using file-sharing software to share the content that you have originally created yourself. However, nearly all the music and film files on file-sharing services are protected by copyright and this is where legal issues arise.
Copyright
All music and recordings of music are copyrighted from the date of creation to at least 50 years afterward. Copyright gives the people involved in creating music various rights over the copying, distribution, performance and internet transmission of their music. This includes protection for artists, composers, publishers and producers.
The rules vary slightly from country to country and some countries allow limited copying and performance that is truly 'private'. However uploading music to the internet and other indiscriminate copying and dissemination of music files is an infringement of copyright if done without the rights owners' permission. This is not 'private' but very public copying, especially considering that nearly a half-billion users have instant access to material put on the internet.
People who “share” or “upload” music or films on the Internet, particularly if they upload a lot, therefore run the risk of being prosecuted. Parents, Schools, Universities and Employers can be held responsible for what happens on the computer held in their name.
Consequences for young artists
Illegal file-sharing is a major factor in the fall in CD sales, down 22% worldwide over five years. This is having a major impact on the music industry and the biggest casualties are new emerging artists. Less sales means there is less money for investing in new, young talent.
Where can I buy music legally online?
There are already more than 325 online music sites worldwide, with more than 190 sites in Europe. These sites offer up to 2 million tracks – the equivalent of approximately 165,000 albums.
Pan-European sites include those from Coca-Cola, Apple’s iTunes, Napster and SonyConnect. In addition there is a plethora of specialised and regional services coming on-stream every month.
You can link to these sites from the following website - www.pro-music.org.
There’s also plenty of legal music available free of charge on the Web – sites where musicians want fans to sample their work and learn about concerts and albums they’re promoting. To find them, search a favourite musician, group or label’s own site.