Sharing is Caring?

Now that almost everyone are able to access to Internet, we all shift to Internet to search for information rather than in library. Unlike searching in library, in Internet, all you need to do is key in the search terms in the search engine and click 'Enter' on your keyboard, and all information related to your search terms will appear in seconds. Some famous site where people turn in to search for information are Google and Yahoo. 

Google Search (source: google.com)

In my previous post, I mentioned about music industry has gone digitalized. Music lovers are now getting music from file sharing sites. Williams mentioned that music piracy had become a main internet activity due to the emergence of file sharing software which allow users to copy each other's music (Funnell, 2010). Napster, the first file sharing system faced legal action from recording companies for copying digitized recordings of mainstream music and eventually shut down (Funnell, 2010). Although Napster had shut down, this does not prevent the emergence of other file sharing systems such as KaZaa and BitTorrent. 

The executive director of Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft also acknowledge that the significance and importance of issue in illegal peer-to-peer file sharing has increased (Elliott, 2010). The Australian Recording Industry Association stated that the annual sale by all volume of physical music products have fallen by 21% from 2003 and suffered 35% of loss from the sales of physical products in 2007 compared to 2003 (Funnell, 2010). Not to be forgotten that in my previous post, I also mentioned about how some record stores are forced to downsize due to availability of music online. This clearly shows that file sharing systems kill the music industry as in sales of physical products.

So, will you still buy your favourite music album from record stores or download it online? For me, I will still buy it from record stores as I like the feeling of holding an album and it gives me satisfaction. Is sharing really caring? You decide it!

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References

Elliott, G 2010, 'Canberra urged to join net fightback', The Australian, 19 April, viewed 12 November 2010, from <http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/canberra-urged-to-join-net-fightback/story-e6frg996-1225855218786>

Funnell, A 2008, 'The rise and rise of file-sharing', The Media Report, ABC Video Transcript, viewed 12 November 2010, from <http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2376707.htm>