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Effects Of Downloading

The amount of people using the Internet is virtually everyone. Many homes have personal computers that their children and families use to serf the Internet, check e-mail, and chat with friends. Millions of Internet users nationwide take part in downloading content off of peer-to-peer programs such as Kazaa, Grokster, and WinMX. Peer-to-peer programs enable users all over the world to share files off of their computers, no matter what it is. All the person needs to do is put the desired file or folder into the 'My Shared' folder and millions of people can download it onto their computers free of charge, whether it is copyrighted or not. This act is highly favored by people since they can get practically anything they want for absolutely nothing. Many people download music, videos, programs, and images because they do not have to go out and buy the fifteen-dollar CD, twenty-dollar DVD, or three hundred dollar plus programs. Downloading can be examined in three areas: the amount downloaded, the amount of money involved, and the actual damage to the entertainment industry.
The amount of music that is being downloaded is slowly dropping because of the lawsuits that the industries have filed against hundreds of people relating to copyright infringement.
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Record labels have been blaming the fall of their profits on illegal distribution of music. Nearly 75 percent of college students have downloaded music from the Internet, 58 percent of them using Napster, according to a study by Greenfield Online, a Connecticut research firm, and YouthStream Media Networks. 6 billion in lost wages and more than $1. It is impossible to accurately estimate how many files are downloaded using peer-to-peer systems, but claiming that each download represents a loss is irrational. Many people download out of curiosity, to check out an artist, which often leads to a sale.
The other side of the story is that sharing music online does not kill CD sales. Although the record labels can...