Online
file sharing battle violates privacy
rights
Amie
Davis
Most people seem to think the fight over file sharing is really about being
able to download free music, when in fact it is actually a far deeper battle
between copyright law and civil rights.
The real problem is companies are using online file sharing as an excuse to
take away our rights to privacy and ownership and the consequences will be
far reaching.
Of course, I’m not going to say downloading your favorite album and giving
it away as a Christmas present is legal; that isn’t an arguable point.
However, I am going to say browsing people’s computer for files (through
peer-to-peer networks), making written legal threats that avoid courtrooms
and denying an individual’s right to use his or her legally purchased
property should be completely illegal.
These are all techniques currently being employed to stop the threat of online
file sharing; a threat that may not be a threat at all.
For example, according to the Web site www.boycott-riaa.com, between 2000 and
2002 the Recording Industry Association of America claims to have lost more
than $4 billion to piracy, but their records only show a real loss of $2 billion.
The bad part about this is we would have to assume these losses are actually
due to piracy and not due to bad business practices, poor economy or poor press
as a result of mass legal threats against the public.
Granted, I do believe the RIAA has lost some money to piracy, but not because
people aren’t purchasing. The real problem for the RIAA is people get
to listen to a whole album before purchasing. So instead of buying a $15 album
only to find out it has one good song, we already know better.
However, I see worse things coming on the horizon.
Sony’s recent attempt at Digital Rights Management (DRM) is an example.
According to ciocentral.com’s story “Sony’s DRM: It Just
Keeps Getting Worse,” Sony’s software installs hidden drivers,
before you accept their license, altering the way your computer operates.
Sony also failed to include a method of removing this software; if you removed
it yourself, your computer would not function properly. Leaving this software
on your computer would allow viruses or other programs to break your computer.
In addition, I have an issue over the use of DRM technology itself. In the
past, the Supreme Court has upheld our right to make copies of tapes for ourselves.
DRM technology actually prevents us from making these copies. If I paid for
something, I should be allowed to privately use it as I see fit without an
organization like the RIAA dictating terms to me.
Let’s get some perspective.
File sharers aren’t going to a store with a gun, threatening people’s
lives or taking a physical object away from anyone. They are creating copies
of non-physical data that didn’t exist before, and that is no reason
for copyright holders to damage our computers or invade our lives.
This column originally ran in the Daily O’Collegian at Oklahoma State
University.
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