Rhea

**Illegal Music Downloads**

 * Copyrights and Their Effects**


 * Copyrighted Music Includes:** All music that is published and released is considered copyrighted. However, music that is not registered with the United States government as having a copyright has no legal proof.


 * How it is copyrighted:** When music is created and put into a tangible form, a copyright immediately exists. A person doesn’t need to register their copyright with the government. However if that person were ever to go to court over ownership of the music, a registered copyright would be required.


 * How illegal downloads affect the music industry:** Music is stolen in two ways: street piracy (the sale or sharing of counterfeit CDs) and online piracy. The Institute for Policy Innovation estimates that global music piracy causes 12.5 billion dollars, 71,060 U.S. jobs, 2.7 billion dollars in workers earnings, 422 million in tax revenues, and $291 million in personal income tax and $131 million dollars in corporate income lost every year. Besides the jobs lost, illegally downloading music is the same as stealing items from a store. Every shared CD or free song downloaded represents a loss for a music artist and those add up.




 * Legality of Music Downloads**


 * When it’s legal to download music:** It's rarely legal to download music off the internet. However, internet sights that provide free copyright free music are acceptable to use along with databases like Itunes where music can be downloaded from legally.


 * Internet sites to download from:** Downloading music from ITunes, the Zune marketplace, Amazon MP3 store and the emusic sight is extremely popular as well as legal. Songs may also be found on an artist’s personal al sights. Sights such as Limewire and Frostwire only illegally download music and should not be used.


 * Penalty for Illegal downloads:** The penalty for illegal downloads is severe and defendants can do jail time and have huge fines to make up for their illegal downloading habits. Many serious cases of illegal downloading are taken to court. Usually, the defendant looses.


 * Legality of CD Sharing:** Although, a person may have purchased a CD to own, they do not nontechnically own the rights to share that CD. It is still considered stealing to burn copies of a CD that a person already owns because it still is taking money away from the creator.

For further information please look into: [|Time Magazine's article]

Citation
RIAA. "RIAA - For Students Doing Reports - January 12, 2011." //RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America - January 12, 2011//. 2010. Web. 12 Jan. 2011. .

Seith, Robert. "Downloading Copyrighted Music." //Connect with Kids : Educational, Reality-based Resources That Change Behavior and// //Change Lives.// Web. 12 Jan. 2011. 

//Lily Allen and Her Fight against Music Piracy//. Digital image. //Sacred Rhythms//. Www.sacredrhythms.com. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. .