File sharing is a rapidly growing technology where users are able to trade files easily over a network of other users, but this type of technology could soon become obsolete. The problem with file sharing is that, in many instances, it violates copyright protection. But just how needed is this protection? How far does this protection go to actually protect the artists? works, and in such a process, violate individuals? rights?

The matter of file sharing now lies in the hands of groups like RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and constitutional acts like the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). The entire issue goes much deeper than just swapping mp3 or video files. It takes away consumers? rights. Does the Constitution now value the rights of corporations above the right of their supporters?

After researching the topic, I can easily see the problematic nature of the DMCA. With this act in effect, a corporation now has complete control over when a copyrighted work can be used, borrowed, transferred, copied, resold or otherwise used for what people have purchased it. Take these short cases that happen every day, for example.

You now cannot make backups or copies of media that you have paid to use. What does this mean to you? Maybe you own a vast CD collection. You would like to listen to your music in the comfort of your own vehicle, but would rather not chance a pile of CDs getting stolen from your car. Instead, you?d use software and blank CDs to copy all of your CDs to less valuable media. This is now an act of infringement. That?s right. You could pay huge fines and even jail time for a harmless act. Is this right?

With the DMCA in effect, you can?t sample music or see a DVD?s quality be-fore you buy it. Instead, you have to fork over $20 or more for something you may not even feel deserves your money. Also, if you only want one song on the CD, you still must pay the CD?s complete price. Does this start sounding like a money scam yet? No? Read on.

Piracy would make no sense in a world where our favorite media wasn?t twenty times the production cost of such media, and instead is sold at a fair market price. However, the current CD costs roughly over $20, while only costing around $1 to make. Why does it cost less than $10 for a tape, while a CD with the same exact content has such an outrageous price? It?s because CDs are harder to copy (or they used to be) than tapes. Now recording industries are able to charge insane prices for their media, effectively wringing every dollar from you and the average consumer.

Copyrights were meant to be a system by which the original author of a work has the sole right to sell and distribute his or her work, and that?s it. Now, with the RIAA and the DMCA, copyright holders have the authority to tell you when you can use their work, for how long, what you can do with it, and so on. Where is the justice in such an environment? Where have our constitutional freedoms disappeared to? What kind of America is this where corporations take precedence over the individual? You decide.