Dorothy Sayers, an American author, once suggested that the first demand religion makes upon the carpenter is not that he should refrain from drunkenness or other disorderly conduct, but rather that he should make good tables. As a divine image-bearer, the carpenter displays the creative wonders of God when he exercises his talent. He does so, not out of duty, but for the sheer joy of the task. He is like the runner in the iconic film Chariots of Fire, who proclaims “I believe God made me for a purpose…and when I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” Not everyone can create good tables. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline, skill, and talent to produce something that is both useful and beautiful to behold. For some, it is a vocational calling, a role for which they are divinely equipped. We see evidence of this in the story of the construction of the tabernacle, after God delivered the Israelites from Egypt. Describing the artisans who were to work on the tabernacle, God declares to Moses “I have filled [them] with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in workmanship, to design artistic works…and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you” (Exodus 31:3-4, 6).
The Church has a long history of honoring the artists in their midst. Artists create and produce works that invoke all of our sensibilities and stir our souls in ways that few others can. They seem finely attuned to God’s creative powers. They bring glory to God in our churches, communities, and culture through their unique contributions. We honor these individuals when we enjoy and respect their work. Even if we may not enjoy their work, we still honor them by showing their work its proper respect. We dishonor our artists when we enjoy but do not respect their work. Respecting an artist’s work requires that we enjoy it within its proper context and limitations. Artists publish their work in a variety of settings, both public and private, for a myriad of purposes. While an artist might make their music freely available to others for general use or promotional purposes, they typically must receive compensation in order to support their creative expression. Technology has made it easier for artists to share their work with us. However, it has also made it easier for artists to be exploited and their products to be consumed without respect for their intellectual and creative rights.
In less than one decade since peer to peer file sharing was first introduced (Napster), music sales in the United States dropped by forty-seven percent, from 14.6 to 7.7 billion dollars, according to estimates by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Today, less than thirty-seven percent of music acquired by consumers was legally purchased. Approximately one quarter of all internet traffic is composed of illegal downloads of of music and film (www.riaa.org). The typical response to these facts is usually less than kind, as there is little sympathy for the struggling music mogul who can only afford the gently-used Lamborghini. Studies have demonstrated, however, that it is not simply the rich who are affected by digital theft. An estimated 70,000 record industry-related jobs are lost per year, accounting for nearly 2.7 billion dollars in wages and a loss of 422 million dollars in tax revenue (www.ipi.org). While the economic impact of digital theft is obvious, the cultural consequences are more subtle. Artists who are not compensated fairly for their work may not be able to continue exploring the depths of their creativity, thereby enriching the culture through their creative contributions, without adequate financial support.
The cost of digital theft has hit colleges and universities particularly hard as the record industry has pushed back against illegal downloading. A former Boston University student was recently ordered to pay $675,000 in fines for songs that he had illegal downloaded. The student unsuccessfully argued to the Supreme Court that the fine amount (which average between $750 and $150,000 per violation) was unconstitutionally excessive. His case is one of many examples in a campaign launched by RIAA to aggressively pursue individual users, especially college students, for damages in court (http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2007/03/15/sherman). In light of such action, it is essential that college students know and understand what behavior constitutes digital theft.
Common forms of digital theft include, but are not limited to the following:
– Burning a duplicate copy of a legally purchased compact disc or digital recording (such as an MP3) for a friend or family member.
– “Ripping” another person’s compact disc or downloading songs from a personal media device onto your own computer.
– Uploading songs to a personal media device from someone else’s computer.
– Uploading songs to your computer from someone else’s iTunes library.
– Uploading or downloading copyrighted music to and from the internet via file sharing (with the exception of pay-per-use sites).
At the heart of the matter is a difficult question- is downloading or copying music and other forms of media that you have not paid for stealing? For the Christian, we might even go a step further and ask if we are willfully engaging in sin. While the answer to these questions may initially seem fairly straight-forward, the context in which they find themselves is often quite muddy, which can make them difficult to answer. Rapidly changing forms of technology seem to encourage digital theft and students often find it increasingly difficult to identify the harm inherent in their actions. Some objections are fairly common and easily rebutted. The fallacy of the argument is obvious, and the motivation appears to be a desire to continue downloading with as minimal demand upon the conscience as possible. A few examples of such objections include such statements as “record companies already make billions of dollars per year…I’m just one person…don’t the artists benefit from the free publicity…they know we’re going to download the music illegally if they put it on the internet, besides, if they really cared about illegal downloads why would they make it so easy to do?”
Other objections are more sincere and represent the complexity of living in a technology-saturated culture. Students struggle to understand why they cannot share a song that they have legally purchased. University networks and technologies such as home-sharing on iTunes seem to encourage students to share music with one another. Creative products are also very different than most other tangible products. I “own” a CD that I legally purchase. I am free to listen to it wherever I choose…whether my home, office, vehicle, etc. I can even gift it to a friend, if I choose. While I may own the physical disc, what I do not own are the rights to the content. When I purchase a CD, DVD, or MP3, I have essentially purchased the “right to use” the content under certain mutually agreeable conditions…namely that I will not duplicate it for anything other than personal, private use. “Sharing” digital music online is also very different than sharing a physical product. When I share a compact disc with a friend, I no longer possess the ability to enjoy that music (provided that I have not made copies for myself). My “right” to use the content of that disc has essentially been transferred to the person I have loaned it to. As long as they have the disc, they alone possess the rights to enjoy its content. Digital media, however, can be shared in such a way that both parties can enjoy the content of a legally purchased disc that may have only been purchased by one party. Understanding how to navigate such situations is an important skill that college students must learn.
While technology and copyright laws have become exceedingly complex, they can be best summarized in this: one must pay to play. Learning how to use media and technology is an immensely important part of the educational process. Understanding how our actions affect others in a body politic is part of learning what it means to become fully human. Our culture is enriched by the contributions of artists. We provide incentive and support for them to continue creating when we legally purchasing and enjoy their products. The Apostle Paul gives us timely advice when he exhorts his readers to “love one another, outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10). The artists in our midst honor us by sharing their gifts. Let us find ways to love them, continuously outdoing them in showing honor, by cheerfully supporting their giftedness.
For more information on the harm of illegal downloading and how to protect yourself from legal action, please visit: http://www.campusdownloading.com/.