Is downloading songs off of Napster morally acceptable
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Is downloading songs off of Napster morally acceptable? When a song is downloaded from Napster an injustice and a theft has occurred and therefore is not a morally acceptable practice. Each and every time a song is shared and subsequently downloaded amongst the approximately 50 million Napster users (approximately 1.5 million at any given time), several bodies of people are adversely affected. Downloading a copyrighted song off of Napster is equivalent to going to the local Wal-Mart and shoplifting a compact disc off the shelf. Napster denies those behind performing, producing, managing, selling and distributing copyrighted music the right to benefit monetarily for the work they have done. The loss of revenue from legitimate recording sales affects not only the recording industry, but the retailers, its employees and the consumer at large as well.
To the average Napster user, the consequence of breaking a copyright law or infringing on the rights of the recording industry as a whole may seem an abstract and inconsequential thing. The real consequences of these actions are to deny the recording industry as a whole the right to be monetarily compensated for the effort put forth. The average Napster user has a duty to pay for services rendered...