Well, well… the World Wide Web is a very special world and we all know the numerous advantages and disadvantages of this 20th century invention. A lot of people have a very critical opinion on the possibilities of the Internet; others couldn’t live without their connection to the world. Be honest! Nowadays there is nobody who doesn’t check his or her emails before going to bed or looking at the latest online news to be up to date. With so many positive things one could really think that art and culture can derive benefit from it as well, right? This topic is very complex and requires more in depth discussions. Nevertheless you could ask yourself “Piracy: liberation or destruction of cultural assets?”
Downloading music, movies, eBooks, computer programmes, databases and every kind of useful information isn’t always as legal as it may seem. And, of course, this has a certain determination: the copyright infringement. But what is wrong about downloading something you are interested in? All this contributes to improving our knowledge and the expansion of the horizon, doesn’t it? Well, the illegal downloads aren’t so positive, because it causes serious damage to the cultural and artistic assets. At first it sounds quite logical to use the possibility of downloading something for free. In times of financial crisis we like to safe each penny but we should also think about the persons who are behind those artistic creations.
Let’s start with number one regarding illegal downloading: music piracy. Nowadays there exists a never ending list of programmes and forums where users interchange and illegally download music from data bases. The newest and most up to date songs can be downloaded in just a few clicks. That sounds quite practical, doesn’t it? But have you ever thought about the musicians spending weeks, months and even years in the studio for creating a musical masterpiece just for you? Generally, the new talents in the music industry have a lot of problem in getting their music to the masses. The only thing you achieve while downloading is that those poor musicians have to continue living from hand to mouth. But it has also an advantage. Passionate music fans know how to appreciate a real CD, with the cover and lyrics in their own hands. So before buying a disc, you can listen to the music online, and if you like or love it, you can go directly to your favourite record shop and purchase it there.
But not everything on the Internet is illegal. These days there are endless opportunities on the World Wide Web, like eBooks, music or programmes, which you can download for little or no money. In that way you don’t have to worry about starving musicians, or homeless writers and the moral pangs of conscience will thus be transformed into a healthy sense of responsibility.
It’s not only on the internet where you can discover culture, art, music and literature, but also during a trip to an unknown city where you have never been before. What about a voyage of discovery to the native city of Picasso. Rent the best apartments in Málaga and spend an economic, comfortable and entertaining stay on the sunny coast of Southern Spain.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Internet Piracy - liberation or destruction of cultural assets?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment