In Lessig’s Remix (http://www.scribd.com/doc/47089238/Remix#outer_page_60), he describes how copyright has affected our lives and includes the view of the great John Phillip Sousa, a copyright extremist, in his book. He describes how copyright laws are very lax now (for example, we just read his work for free) and artists aren’t getting their fair share as a result of people using their work without their permission.

John Phillip Sousa attacked this, for his music was being “pirated” at a low cost to be used in “machines” like phonographs and his scores were used for personal use and he was not getting a penny out of it. He was very much against these devices, saying that they are destroying the creativity of the artists, for they are not creating their own music, just copying others.

Sousa may have been incorrect when he said that creativity would be destroyed (the music industry is thriving), but he did have a point when it came to people using others work without permission. The internet has made that even more so. It is very easy now to listen to music or watch movies online for free thanks to pirating. The quality is usually down but people would definitely be willing to sacrifice quality to see or listen to things that they don’t have to pay for. We live in a hedonistic society where we will do things that give us the most pleasure for the least amount of cost and our use of pirated items online reflect that. Why buy a song on itunes when I can just go to youtube and listen to it there?

The problem with that is that it gives no benefit to the author of the  song. That is why Congress is looking to pass PIPA and SOPA to give those rights back to the artist. I cant blame them but the radio is also free is it not? we can listen to songs from there without getting the permission of the artist so whats wrong with youtube? I’m sure artists can find a way to make money from youtube and allow their music to be heard by much more people than they would have if they made everyone pay for it.