MP3s: Legal? Ethical? Rolando Lopez CS 99 Dartmouth College

Basics: What is an MP3? n Moving Picture Expert Group Layer 3 n Provides Great Quality Digital Sounds

Uses of MP3s n Private Uses n New Artists –Self-promotion n Established Artists –MP3-only singles

Why MP3s? n Smaller Files –12-1 Compression Rate n Accessibility n Best Quality Alternative to CDs n There is No Stream –Won’t be interrupted

Why MP3s? n Money –Artists would get more money n Easy to Arrange –MP3s are easily moved into listening preference

Why Are MP3s Popular? n Larger Networks n High Data Transmission Rates n More Storage Capacity n Free Internet Services n Napster

Why Not MP3s? n Most Uses are Illegal n Criminal Offense –Distribution –Reproduction

Who Can Use MP3s? n An Official Representative of the Band n Owners of Copyrights –Usually song writers n Public Domain Files n Legal 24 Hour Download

Who Loses Out? n Anyone Associated with the Recording n Consumers n Record Industries(e.g. RIAA)

RIAA n Recording Industry Association of America n Suing Those Having MP3s on Sites n Diamond Multimedia’s RIO –Has done nothing wrong –Just a player

What Can Be Done? n Serial Copy Management Standards –Prevents playback of illegal MP3s n Large-Scale Lawsuits n Take the Loss –Similar to the cassette tape frenzy n Digital Watermarks

Legality n Encoding is Legal n Players are Legal n Little Else Is

Considerations n How are MP3s Different From Tapes? n What is Wrong With a Player? n What About Other Copyright Infringements?