We all have heard the same downfalls about illegal downloading but, has anyone researched how it could be beneficial in some cases? According to The Perspective embracing illegal downloading could be better than fighting against it. Some benefits of illegal downloading are helping artists, investments and everyone having access. As we all know social media is everything in this modern world. Illegal or not artists exposure is positive thing. With the help of illegal downloading some artists gain popularity and their career takes off. The data collected from illegal downloading plays a huge part in investments. The data shows what is popular and worthwhile. This is now considered a marketing strategy. Illegal downloading gives the opportunity for everyone to enjoy books or music. We all know that both of those things can have major impact in lives. The Perspective also states the drawbacks to the beneficial aspects listed above. Illegal downloading hurts publishing. Most eBooks are downloaded without payment which takes away money from publishers and authors. Illegal downloading sites are very popular which is making the publishing industry come up with new ideas to stop the downloading. The Perspective explains there is no excuse for illegal downloading. There are several cheap and legal ways to access media without illegal downloading. For example, Kindle books from Amazon are cheap and you only must buy a kindle device once. At the end of the day illegal downloading is against the law and that’s a fact. We have rules and regulations that society agrees to follow. Breaking these rules such as copyright by downloading illegally is stealing. In 2020, websites with illegal downloads have about 12.5 billion visits from the US which is the highest number in the world. Illegal downloading is clearly still a huge issue and the law states that it is wrong to access media without paying. Overall, this article states illegal downloading from the positives and negatives. I honestly see things from both sides. I know that it is illegal and there is media with low cost but, some families or people do not have the means to pay even ten dollars. Are we supposed to tell those people they cannot read because they do not come from a financially stable family? I don’t think so. I also understand that authors and publishing houses are losing money and I know this is how they make their money. This is how they provide for their family. I do believe that society needs to come up with an idea of how we can find a happy medium in this situation. I do not like that illegal downloading will ever stop it goes far beyond just downloading books. Illegal downloading has always been around, but it didn’t become a big issue until money started getting involved. On the one hand, getting free access encourages more people to enjoy creative works who may not be able to afford them otherwise. This wider distribution could lead to downstream benefits for creators too in the form of greater exposure, popularity, concert and merchandise sales etc. However, the key ethical question is whether enjoying copyrighted material without fairly compensating the creators aligns with principles of equity and justice. Just because digitally replicating content has negligible cost, does that make it acceptable to do so without permission or payment? There are no easy answers here, and reasonable people can disagree in their perspectives. Some see the right to unpaid access as a moral imperative for spreading information freely. Others see denying income from works as exploitation of creative talents who deserve to profit from their efforts. In reality, both creators and consumers likely need to compromise to find reasonable middle ground in the market. As copying gets easier, creators and publishers should lower prices to what average consumers can afford. At the same time, users should respect laws and ethical norms enough to pay a fair price for quality content whenever they are able to, while seeking free alternatives only when truly unable to pay. There are no easy answers here, and reasonable people can disagree in their perspectives. Some see the right to unpaid access as a moral imperative for spreading information freely. Others see denying income from works as exploitation of creative talents who deserve to profit from their efforts. In reality, both creators and consumers likely need to compromise to find reasonable middle ground in the market. As copying gets easier, creators and publishers should lower prices to what average consumers can afford. At the same time, users should respect laws and ethical norms enough to pay a fair price for quality content whenever they are able to, while seeking free alternatives only when truly unable to pay.
Brianna is an advocate for the vulnerable youth from Luverne, Alabama. She holds an Associates Degree in Science from Lurleen B. Wallace Community College. In 2023 she received her Bachelors Degree in Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing from Troy University. Her areas of research include psychology, child psychology and abnormal psychology.