IT'S NOT OKAY TO STEAL

I applaud the Supreme Court's decision today to rule on the side of copyright law and the protection under copyright laws by overturning a 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that said that file-sharing companies like Grokster, Morpheus, and KaZaA are NOT liable for their users' copyright infringement.

The sole purpose of these companies are to allow users to "swap files" and I would say 99.9% of the time the files that are swapped are copyrighted material. THEY ARE OWNED BY SOMEONE ELSE. IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED THE FILE - be it software, music, video, then you have purchased the right to use the file for YOUR OWN entertainment purposes.

I have studied copyright law. I have worked in the music industry my entire life. I own a publishing company. I do know a little bit about what I'm talking about. (although I heard a colleague of mine today say that I did not)

THESE ARE NOT IDEAS, THESE ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES. Once your "idea" is in a fixed formed, it is protected under copyright law.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

It means you need to stop downloading files FOR FREE from internet sites that allow you to share peer to peer with other computers. If you want a particular song, then pay $.99 or less for it from companies like Rhapsody or ITunes.

Why?

DID I MENTION ALREADY THAT IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO DOWNLOAD IT WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT.

It was asked today, what's going to happen? Record Labels, publishers and the like will continue with their lawsuits against the above mentioned companies, and they will win. (Napster was put out of business the first go around. Now they're back doing it legally)

Maybe you don't believe me. Maybe you think you can just willy-nilly download at your leisure and you won't get caught. Well, let me refer you the following cases:

http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/052605.asp

http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/042705.asp

And for the record - here's how the LAW reads:

The online infringement of copyrighted music can be punished by up to 3 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Repeat offenders can be imprisoned up to 6 years. Individuals also may be held civilly liable, regardless of whether the activity is for profit, for actual damages or lost profits, or for statutory damages up to $150,000 per infringed copyright.

(by the way, "per infringed copyright" means if you downloaded 10 songs illegally, you could be charged $150,000 x 10)

STOP STEALING SOMEONE ELSE'S PROPERTY. IT'S AGAINST THE LAW. And I vow to you on this day, that if I have any information on someone stealing, I will report that individual...just as I would if I saw an individual stealing a car.

Thankyouverymuch.