The In's and Out's of Media Piracy

Would you rob a bank if you had a great chance of escaping? Would you steal a car if you knew the cops wouldn’t find you? For the sake of morals, I would hope your answer is no. These social taboos are simple and are, for the most part easily understood but, why is this not the case in pirating copyrighted material? Illegal file-sharing over computers has existed for quite some time dating back to the start of personal computers, how ever the true epidemic began when this sharing of music, movies and software hit the mainstream public. Napster, the first peer-to-peer network that had gained an enormous following, led the charge on the distribution of all sorts of media. The program’s popularity grew larger day by day, which in effect caused the music and movie industry to take a hit on sales. The positives in downloading these files greatly outweighed the negatives to average computer users. Downloading was easy, quick, and not to forget, it was free! There have been many fights to end or at least contain piracy, most often led by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The RIAA represents almost all of the media industry and is in charge of the profit it gains, so for obvious reasons piracy is a big deal to them. Through copyright infringement such as file-sharing, the software industry has lost an estimated 13 billion dollars per year, the music industry garnered a loss of 4.1 billion dollars, and the movie industry was out 2.5 billion dollars. These numbers are staggering and there was definitely a need to battle this crisis. The RIAA’s method of fighting back has been through issuing lawsuits to major offenders, some say it’s merely a scare tactic, while the RIAA is adamantly preaching that the steep reparations are for the losses that one offender has caused.

These court cases however, have not set into people’s minds enough to stop them from obtaining illegal material. File-sharing is still very large in the computer community and is showing no signs of slowing down. Technology always seems to be one step ahead of the law as well as the RIAA. When one hosting program gets shut down, two more sprout up to replace it. The RIAA often said piracy is like a bad case of acne, there seems to be no end. Ironically, teenagers are at the forefront of both problems, acne as well as piracy. The Washington Post reported “More than half of young Americans with Internet access continue to download free music even though they know that they are breaking the law.” They go on to add “Eighty-eight percent of the respondents know that most popular music is copyrighted, but 56 percent download it anyway, according to the survey of 1,183 children, ages eight to eighteen.” This in itself shows that downloading media just does not coincide with other crimes which there are direct interactions. Colin Hatcher, a journalist who is investigating piracy writes on how the pirates think of themselves as Robin Hood type figures, meaning they take from the rich and give to the poor. A very heroic outlook on the situation but I don’t think stealing the latest music is comparable to feeding the poor.

The programs that are allowing people to download music are the first to get attacked by enforcers such as the RIAA. The programs evolve as each predecessor is caught and as time goes on these peer-to-peer networks are getting stronger and more fool-proof. As mentioned before, the first widely used program was Napster, after a year of success it was forced to cease and desist from sharing any copyrighted materials. Following programs learned from Napster’s mistakes. Instead of hosting files, these programs were just used to transport a file from one person’s computer to another; they basically acted as a mediator. The programs are convenient and socially accepted so it has become a norm in today’s world. Why would anyone pay for something they can get for free? Personally, as a college student I don’t always have fifteen dollars to buy the newest music album by an artist, but I do have a computer. Programs such as I-tunes where people can buy individual songs for as cheap as a dollar is a good move on the industries part, but most Ipod’s can hold 7,500 songs. That means it would cost $7,500 dollars to fill up the mp3 player that you bought for only two hundred dollars. If given a choice to spend thousands of dollars on music, movies and software opposed to getting them for free, I’m sure most would lean towards the latter.

From floppy disks to mp3s, sharing has always had a large part in the computer world. However, the problem is the legal nature in what we are sharing. Too many people, downloading pirated material is an act of rebellion against the stingy media kingdom, and to some downloading files is not even a thought. Groups such as the RIAA are fighting for what in reality is the right thing, but their controversial methods have them coming off as the villain. Downloading illegal files is a crime, meaning I am a criminal and I wouldn’t be surprised if every person reading this is one as well, but none the less we all have our reasons. Music and movie prices seem to be constantly growing and it has come to a level where people resort to secondary means, which more often then not is pirating.

Just About Done

My paper is coming to a close, and its time to put some of the finishing touches. I dint get to do everything I wanted for it, but I think it's come out very well. I feel Media Piracy was a good subject because it i s"meaty" and has a lot of different information that could be used.

btw Kinkoes is damn expensive.

Only 2 more classes!

Wow, I cant believe the year is almost over. I thought my fall semester was quick, this spring went by 10x faster. Right now, it's time to finish up my paper for English class, and get ready for my finals in my other classes. Just thinking that in less than 2 weeks I will be free of everything. During the break Ill probably find a job and try to save up for a car. Also, I wish to get into the summer course as I mentioned in a previous post a couple days ago. Academically I have done much better this semester than last. I like to think that I have gotten more comfortable with the college environment and not having teachers on your back. The freedom is like a double edged sword if you are irresponsible but once you have a hang of it, it is the greatest thing. I hope to continue to raise my grades, but who doesn't want to? It takes work and hopefully my determination for a bright future stays in tact, which I have little doubt that it would not.

Back to studying.

Another Review!! The Departed

Time for another review for a movie I just recently watched.

The Departed is absolutely one of the better films in recent years. After months of hype, I decided it would be a perfect film to watch. Here is a brief overview of the movie, Billy Costigan, played by Leonardo DiCaprio is a new police recruit offered a risky undercover job by his superiors (Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg). His mission is to infiltrate the intricate world of Boston mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from an inside perspective, posing as a low-class criminal. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is one of Costello's men who has joined the police force as a mole to keep tabs on the cops and always remain one step ahead. As both men sink deeper and deeper into their phony undercover roles, they learn more about each other, leading to an exciting hunt where they both scramble to reveal the other's true identity without breaking their own cover.

There's a very good reason why director Martin Scorsese is regarded as one of the greatest directors of modern films; he's one of the few classic filmmakers working today, calculated with his visual ideas and always on top of his game in keeping an upbeat rhythm throughout his movies. From his classics such as Goodfellas, to Casino he has remained consistent. The Departed returns Scorsese to the criminal underworld, which is his greatest area in filming. He just has an eye on the streets and portrays it very well. This sure classic is undoubtedly one of the great’s best films. He practically has every star wanting to play a role in his movies, and that just adds another knife to his drawer in being able to create a true work of art.

The Departed is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong action flick, Internal Affairs. The star of the show here isn't the unbelievably great cast, but the gritty, dangerous streets of Boston. This film just reminds you of the true feeling you feel when in north eastern America; Scorsese treats the viewer into the Irish-infested waters of Beantown where outsiders aren't given a welcome and the suspicious are killed in an instant. It goes above and beyond the heavy accents and smoky, alcoholic bars; Scorsese captures The Departed with a tremendous amount of street authenticity, placing action in specially selected locations where they most fit. He shows how these different neighborhoods have rivalries just like you would find any place else, but with added emotions. Pride definitely plays a large role in these characters. The Departed is a violent and realistic crime saga that continuously takes the viewer on a roller coaster which the plot gradually is revealed and it delivers.

This film would definitely receive two thumbs up by me, and I am still in awe about how Martin Scorcese can always portray a story so vividly and not bore the viewers to death with details. If you ever find yourself bored in the next couple of days, or just want to see a great story, head out to the local theatres and watch this movie. From the star-studded lineup to the realism of the streets, there is something for everyone in The Departed.

R.I.P to those killed at Virginia Tech

On Monday morning before heading over to school, I was watching the news to see what the weather was going to be for the day. How ever there was a story on how 2 people were killed in Virginia Tech University. I didn't think much of it, knowing the crazy world we live in. Later on in the day, after my theology class I went to the library and got on to my laptop. My browser's homepage is on google.com where I have "widgets" that show you the latest news. At the top of the list, I read 23 people dead. I was simply shocked, the count went from 2-23. From a murder to a massacre. I kept reading articles, going from news site to news site, each time the number getting larger, and eventually capped off at 33. All I could think to myself is "another Columbine?" I was hoping they had the school under control, and I was obviously curious as to why and who did these killings.

The stories we all heard on the event have been bone chilling. Listening to how one girl acted like she was dead so the gunman wouldn't kill her was amazing. I have no clue if I wouldve been able to do that if I was in her situation. Later on, we all found out who the killer was. At first I heard he was an exchange student from Korea, but that would soon be dismissed when it was confirmed that he live in America since 1992. What would make a person do such a thing? It was simply mind-numbing. My heart goes out to all the people who were killed or wounded in these shootings. I only can wonder how frightening it might have been for them. The shootings at the Engineering hall were very sad, those kids must have been very smart to be in an engineering class, and their lives have been ended by one deranged killer.

Jesus in Islam

In Theology class, my professor asked us what seemed to be a simple question, but in fact it held a lot of meaning to people of all religions. This was my paper:

Who Do You Say That I Am?

The home which I was born into was of Islam, and my lessons from birth to now have had the message of Allah but that does not exclude me from learning about the great love Jesus held in his heart. In today’s world many people think Muslims and Christians have nothing in common, but that is far from the truth. Many of the great values on how one should live co-exist in both the Bible and the Quran. One of the most meaningful relations is the core story of Jesus, who is known as Isa in Arabic. Both Muslims like me and Christians like many of my fellow people of the world understand the miracles and the great teachings he has dealt to people in grave need. The difference between the views of Jesus between the two religions is that in Islam he is a human prophet sent by God, and in Christianity he is a part of God himself. Another point of separation is that in Islam we do not believe Jesus was resurrected; rather we believe he ascended into the heavens.

In the Quran it states “…and surely they slew him not. But Allah (God) raised him unto Himself.” Allah viewed Jesus as a loyal prophet who was a fair judge and just ruler. On a personal level I certainly have great admiration for Jesus and the work he has done for humanity with both spiritual and physical methods. He made the lives of people in hardships a great one. He gave them reasons to move forward and not stand still and do nothing to advance their knowledge. To me, I understand why Allah sent him to earth. His prophecy was needed during this time because of the extensive amounts of injustice. I am also grateful of Jesus because he will return in the future to end all wars so there will be world peace. With the amount of trouble in the world today, many wish his return would be sooner rather than later.

I love Moses, I love Noah, I love Mary, and I certainly love Jesus. The great people of our pasts should be loved by all people disregarding the fact that I am Muslim or that you are Christian. The prophets and the noble people in our sacred history have paved us a path where we can live together, but it is our duty to make the interaction peaceful. The pious mother of Jesus, Mary is a great figure in Islam and is known for her helpful and understanding nature. Her son Jesus helped the sick and taught the illiterate with the help of Allah and the world will forever be thankful.