# Gateway says, "It's fun to steal music!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 10, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gateway-says-its-fun-to-steal-music/102925 "2002-04-10T23:11:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gateway-says-its-fun-to-steal-music/102925/21 "2002-04-11T22:49:34Z")
I should clarify that I am staunchly against the Hollings bill. Hell, I contribute to the EFF and loathe RIAA. I was against the extension of copyright length. But it does upset me to see people use reasons like the above as a justification for thievery. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gateway-says-its-fun-to-steal-music/102925/22 "2002-04-11T22:54:56Z")
I don’t know why the damn government is pandering to the RIAA anyway when the RIAA is a fucking “trust” and trusts are supposed to be illegal. Why do the major labels deserve money off of blank media? When I put out an album I should be able to get a percentage of that money as should every person that’s ever put out a recording of any kind. The RIAA isn’t special. It’s time to stop catering to the RIAA and just let them dissolve. Erek ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gateway-says-its-fun-to-steal-music/102925/23 "2002-04-12T00:08:25Z")
> [@](#): > > That is because a fee was added to every blank cassette to allow for the fact that they were possibly going to be used to copy music. What is the modern equivilent? A fee on blank CD’s? You may see packages of blank CDRs which say ‘Designed for Music’ or something similar. These cost more simply because a royalty fee has been added. That is the only difference. So don’t buy any. [hijack] The only version of the Gateway commercial I’ve scene has Waite & cow lipsynching Devo’s ‘Whip It’. Pretty stupid. And it’s not an ‘animatronic’ cow. It a real cow with a CG mouth. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gateway-says-its-fun-to-steal-music/102925/24 "2002-04-12T09:12:50Z")
I’d like to clarify something. > [@](#): > > It is not illegal to download a song unless the copyright owners forbid it. I am not a lawyer but my understanding is that: It is only legal to download a song if the copyright owner expressly allows it. In other words, if I own the copyright on something, I don’t have to forbid you from copying to make it illegal; if I do nothing, then it’s illegal for you to copy it. In order for it to be legal I must explicitly give you permission. ---
**Author:** ![jessiecarol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@jessiecarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jessiecarol)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gateway-says-its-fun-to-steal-music/102925/25 "2002-04-12T18:49:33Z")
I like the hip/hop version of Sundown. I also like the Gatorade commercial. I’m very dull.:o ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gateway-says-its-fun-to-steal-music/102925/26 "2002-04-13T02:10:19Z")
I would gladly pay a royalty on blank CDs and hard drives if it meant I could legally trade media. Right now it’s legal ([AHRA](http://www.virtualrecordings.com/ahra.htm)) to make noncommercial copies if you use a device such as a standalone CD recorder. Theoretically, someone could legally set up a service like Napster that lists mailing addresses of people who are sharing the songs you want; you send them a blank “music CD-R” and they send it back full of Metallica tracks. But that’s terribly inconvenient, and I’m sure people would leap at the opportunity to legally trade files online, even if it meant paying more for media. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gateway-says-its-fun-to-steal-music/102925.md?page=1)