Stealing: Digital vs. Physical Property

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6FN7iCxFPQ

With the invention of the internet and computer based media, intellectual property became a widespread way to not only create new business opportunities through movies and musc, but also express oneself through art. The problem with this creation is, how can it be regulated? With hackers online able to rip movies and music media, how are artists, producers, directors etc. able to still make money? The ability for users to download this media for free online creates a vacuum in terms of the difference between stealing this media online versus in person. Many people would argue that stealing in person is very wrong to do, but then these same people go home and download music for themselves online. Many people would consider this download online as stealing, but would never steal physical media in person. Is there a difference between stealing this online versus in person, like in a store? This is the main question our project aimed to investigate, whether the morality and legality of the two should be viewed on the same level, or if one act of stealing is more punishable than the other. In our project we conducted many interviews with University of Oregon students and faculty, asking simple questions like defining stealing, theft, property, media, and then asking more complicated questions like the difference between stealing physical property and digital property. Also, we conducted a couple surveys online using our social media outlets, which allowed us to answer these questions on a larger scale population. In this way, we were able to determine the difference between the two types of stealing, and also the overwhelming opinion that one should be treated less harshly than the other. It was determined that when one steals in person, he or she is physically taking something away from someone else. But in the case of stealing online, that person is not actually taking anything from the other person, but instead merely making it available to that person. This can be seen with the analogy of a waterbottle with one straw, versus a water bottle with two straws. If one person were to take the one straw water bottle away from someone else, he is physically taking that object away (physical stealing). On the contrary, if that person were to instead share the two straw water bottle, he is not actually taking anything away from the person, but instead making the same thing available for both of them (digital stealing). Thus, it was concluded that digital stealing should be punished much less harshly than physical stealing, if at all. Also, it was concluded that there are more people who have downloaded (stolen) music and media online than people who haven't. Finally, it was concluded that downloading this type of media online from third-parties should not be deemed illegal, but instead be embraced, and the future must come to the realization that the way artists will be compensated for their work will drastically be renovated.