illicit

Musicians may be some the biggest criminals in the world. Not because of the alleged drug and alcohol abuse that is synonymous with the rock and roll lifestyle, but because of our ways of dispersing music to the masses. I am talking about illegal distribution of music through piracy. As seen in the film “Illicit,” I feel somewhat responsible for other major illegal activity. I am no drug runner nor am I any type of money launderer with the agenda of influencing political figures. But my intentions are even more selfish. I want free music, and so do my friends. We download torrents with entire discographies of our favorite musicians. In turn that music is illegally reproduced and traded or given away with no monetary value along the way. This is solely for our own satisfaction and entertainment.

Wait a second! What the hell am I saying? I’m not buying a bootleg from the shady guy on the corner where all the proceeds might go to some illicit form of goods that might ultimately end up in drugs and guns. Nope. There was no money at all. So there is nothing wrong? Really? Not really.

I believe it is true that pirating media is just as harmful. In a different sense. In the sense that somewhere someone is making money off of the same music I have, and doing bad things with that money. Now to be perfectly honest I do not download. I have my friends do it for me. I still shop for my CD’s at the store. And if I cannot afford it I find it somewhere online where I can listen to it for free. So that puts me at an awkward place. What I am saying is that I do not support nor oppose this type of illegal activity. Where does that put me in the grand scheme of things. Not behind bars, and that’s the way I like it.