In recent years, as technology has become embedded in our society and everyday lives, unavoidably, new illegal activity has come with this change. Illegal downloading, more commonly known as piracy, is the act of obtaining copyrighted content for free. Illegal downloading is on the rise, and is a huge problem in today’s society. In order to combat the increasingly large number of pirates in Australia, it is evident that there needs to be harsher laws and punishments against illegal downloaders. This is due to the fact that piracy is destroying the entertainment industry and is morally and ethically wrong.
The entertainment industry is being destroyed by piracy. In Australia alone, it is estimated that 26% of people are pirates, costing the Australian economy 1.37 billion dollars annually. This huge number of pirates is causing a massive amount of damage to the entertainment industry, with most Hollywood movies and TV shows being downloaded millions of times by Australian pirates. Consequently, this is causing people to have to leave the entertainment industry as they can’t make enough money. It is even deterring aspiring young people from entering the entertainment industry, as they believe they won’t be able to make enough money due to the ramifications of piracy. This worrying fact is a potential indicator of the perilous future of the entertainment industry, both in Australia and globally. These facts show the huge impact that illegal downloading is having on the entertainment industry, and more importantly the Australian economy. Subsequently, it is evident that there should be harsher punishments in place for illegal downloaders in order to protect the entertainment industry.
Moreover, illegal downloading is morally and ethically wrong. Pirating a movie or song is equivalent to stealing something from a shop. This is something that most people would never do and would consider doing so a criminal offence. They would expect to receive a harsh penalty for their actions. Despite this, many people find it acceptable to steal content online, even though it is the same principle. Furthermore, content creators put thousands of hours into creating a product, just for pirates to undermine their hard work and steal what they have created. This undoubtedly shows that there needs to be harsher laws against illegal downloaders to enforce fair and equitable moral standards.
It could be argued that it’s acceptable for people in rural areas to illegally download content, as they may not have access to a cinema or DVD store where they could legally purchase the content. Although these people would not have had access to the material they are pirating in the first place, it is still morally wrong and does not excuse the fact that they are stealing from the content creator. Additionally, internet shopping is a viable option for these people to obtain the content legally.
In conclusion, it is evident that there needs to be significantly severer punishments for people who download copyrighted content illegally. This is pursuant to the fact that piracy is destroying the entertainment industry and is morally and ethically wrong. If the epidemic of illegal downloading does not stop soon, it will change the entertainment industry forever, and potentially destroy it.