6.2 Sharing or Stealing?

How common are these ways of getting music and films, compared with ten years ago?

Buying or renting CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.

Paying for downloads from online media stores

Watching videos on the InternetUsing unofficial file-sharing websitesGetting copies of things from friends

Note down TWO:

Arguments why file sharing should be stopped

Arguments why file sharing isn’t a problemReasons why ISPs are unhappy with the

government’s idea

Unit 6 Track 2.91. What does ISPs stand for?2. What does the government want ISPs to do?3. How can we put this statement “file sharing is just

another word for stealing” to make it sound simpler to understand?

4. What are the files that people download?5. Why is file sharing “a form of advertisement”? 6. If people stopped file sharing completely, would it lead

to a big increase in sales for the music industries? Why? 7. What is the music companies’ reason in saying that

they “need to make a healthy profit”? 8. State 2 arguments why the ISPs is so reluctant to take

action against file sharing.

ANSWER

1. What does ISPs stand for?- Internet Service Providers

2. What does the government want ISPs to do? - To cut off people who download films and music illegally.

3. How can we put this statement “file sharing is just another word for stealing” to make it sound simpler to understand?

- You wouldn’t go into your local shop and steal a CD or a DVD, so why is it OK to do it online?

ANSWER

4. What are the files that people download?- Things you couldn’t buy even if you

wanted to such as videos of concerts and TV programmes which aren’t out on DVD.

5. Why is file sharing “a form of advertisement”?

- People can use file-sharing sites to decide whether they like a particular album or not. If they do, then they’ll go out and buy it legally.

ANSWER

6. If people stopped file sharing completely, would it lead to a big increase in sales for the music industries? Why?

- No, it wouldn’t. Because historically, music prices have been too high and most people would be happy to buy legal music if the prices were lower.

7. What is the music companies’ reason in saying that they “need to make a healthy profit”?

- So they can invest in new, young musicians.

ANSWER

8. State 2 arguments why the ISPs are so reluctant to take action against file sharing.

- (1) ISP is a business. By doing so, they would cut off their own customers.

- (2) Finding out who’s sharing files illegally takes up a lot of time and money because there’re lots of legal file sharing too.