Music in America

Music in America Today

Advancements in communication technology allow individuals to broaden their scope of knowledge to an unimaginable level. The invention of the Internet has been no exception. It has grown to be an essential part of our society, and with this, new legal and ethical challenges have developed regarding the sharing of information through peer-to-peer networks. Music file sharing has become, perhaps, the most widespread problem in this arena. Music piracy is estimated to cause about “$12.5 billion of economic loses each year” (“For Students Doing Reports”). However, current laws, music industry artists and the groups representing them, have been unable to be put a stop to this activity. Illegal downloading of music is in violation of United States current copyright laws and can be considered an economic problem. Certain compromises must be made by the industry and government officials to ensure the music business has a sustainable future.

Organizations and political bodies have created new laws to end this problem. These laws, however, hardly proved to be enough to stop individuals from providing free downloading of music to other Internet users. In August 1999, Napster released a software program that allowed users to search for, download and share music for free (Logie 4). Until Napster was forced to shut down their servers in July 2001, the lawsuits merely popularized the illegal software; “at its peak, Napster is estimated to have had more than 80 million users” (Logie 5).

Many others tried to imitate the free service once provided by Napster. These newly formed networks became the target of the Recording Industry Artists of America (RIAA) in 2003 (“RIAA Challenges P2P Networks to Finally Act Like Responsible Corporate Citizens”). “RIAA is the trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and financial vitality of the major music companies” (“Who We Are”). The RIAA represents about 85% of the companies that create and produce “legitimate music” in the United States. They have attempted many campaigns in hope of gaining support

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