To Share or not To Share ... That is the Million Dollar Question....

1. What is your personal opinion towards file sharing? Is it right or wrong? Please explain.

Personally, I do not believe that the general idea of file sharing is wrong. When most people think of file sharing, they think of illegally downloading movies and computer programs. This isn't always the case. File sharing is simply the act of sharing information that is stored digitally. This can be something as simple as sharing a picture on Facebook or emailing your essay to your teacher. Almost everyone on the internet has taken part in file sharing, but since it occurs so often, they don't regard it as so. File sharing is only wrong when it hurts someone else greatly, whether it be financially or emotionally.

2. If you produced your own piece of art/song/movie, would you hold the same opinion?

I think that if I produced my own piece of art/song/movie, I would still hold the same opinion. I would be fine with file sharing as long as I am not losing money from it. File sharing is a completely normal act on the internet and can not be stopped. For example, even if I were an artist/musician/film-maker, I would most likely still have an online presence. This would mean I would have a Facebook or use Email to share pictures and files. To say that file sharing is wrong in general would be hypocritical, since I also take part in file sharing through these websites.

3. Do you feel it is morally acceptable to download copyrighted material if it is only intended for personal use?

I feel that sometimes it is morally acceptable to download copyrighted material if it is only intended for personal use. In the past, I have downloaded movies and music that was copyrighted for my own uses because I don't really believe that companies are losing money because of it. To lose money would require you to own the money in the first place. What's really happening is that the companies are losing the potential money that they COULD have had if I were to buy their material. If I was never planning on buying the material in the first place, then they aren't really losing any money, real or potential.
Most people would argue that downloading copyrighted material is just like stealing digital information. I don't agree with this view because I don't think that I'm stealing anything. To steal would mean I am taking something that belongs to them, leaving them with nothing. However, by downloading copyright material, I am only copying something that belongs to them, still leaving them with the original product.