Pirating MP3's...

Me: Hey everyone! Thanks for joining us today on The Becky Show. How are we all doing? Fabulous. A big controversy up in smoke right now, are you keeping track of what your kids download? All that music on their iPod, did they pay for every song? Well, today we've got Scott Matthews and Fred von Lohman, from The Washington Post, here to talk with us about illegal downloading of music and MP3's.
So, Scott, why don't you give us a little background on what's going on.

Scott: Well, the record industry and EFF are preparing thousands of lawsuits against individuals who have illegally downloaded music. The record industry is losing billions of dollars from all this cost-free file-sharing, so they have a plan to wipe this out completely.

Me: Interesting to hear that. So, if there are millions of people out there doing this, how exactly does the EFF plan on accomplishing this?

Scott: Okay, their plan is to tax internet use, so if one were to download any files "illegally", it wouldn't really be illegal because the tax will allow the governemtn and record companies to be compensated.

Me: So, this whole issue is really just about the fact that the record companies want to be compensated for their losses?

Scott: Yes, exactly.

Me: Interesting. So, they are planning to tax internet use? I'm too sure if that's a realistic solution. But, hey, let's asl another expert. Here we've got Fred von Lohman from the Washington Post. How are you today?

Fred: Doing well, thanks.

Me: So, tell us, what's your opinion on the matter?

Fred: Well, Becky, at its heart, this is a fight about money, not morailty. And the truth of the matter is, no solution seems to work. Subscriptions for unlimited downloads for $10 a month are offered with services like Napster and Rhapsody. But these are failures because music expires after time, files are not compatible with the iPod, and the selection is slim.

Me: Not compatible with the iPod? Well of course no one's going to subscribe. Why download music when you can't even put it on your MP3-player...and everyone has iPods these days.

Fred: Exactly. Apple has also created a legal downloading process with iTunes. But the songs downloaded from iTunes are only cimpatible with Ipods, and it costs $1 per song and sometimes when you purchase a song, it has an error while downloading...but it still takes your money. How can you be sure you'll get a refund when everything is done electronically?

Me: It seems very tricky.

Fred: it is. Kids want music, they hear it on TV or the radio or whatever. They want the easiest way to get it. They also want to share their music and musical taste with friends, what better or easier way to do that than file-sharing.

Me: So, Fred, do you suggest any other solutions?

Fred: Yes, The only solution is a blanket license that permits kids to get unrestricted music and movies from sources of their choosing. We should have schools and universities collect cash, pay it to the entertainment industry and let the kids do what they are going to do anyway. In exchange, the entertainment industry should call off the lawyers and lobbyists, leaving our nation's universities to focus on the real challenges facing America's next generation of leaders.