Hello,
I chose the difficult side in this writing. Because I don't think a computer enthusiast who often downloads music and movies will write this kind of letter for his regret. Or do i go astray? Please comment on my writing, especially whether my content is consistent with the topic. Thanks in advance!
Question:
The government has successfully convicted a person of infringing copyright. The person has used internet technology to upload movies and allow other users to download them.
You are a computer enthusiast and you often download music and movies. Write a letter to the editor of the Young Post commenting on the rights and wrongs of downloading entertainment from the internet and whether you think people will continue to break the law when they risk being prosecuted. Sign your letter "Chris Wong".
Dear Editor,
The issue of people using computer software to download movies or other entertainments from the internet has aroused wide concern since a person was successfully convicted by the Hong Kong government of infringing copyright as he had used "BitTorrent" to share copyrighted movies to other users. Being a computer and entertainment downloading enthusiast, I feel compelled to write this letter and share my comment on the rights and wrongs of this subject.
Opponents of "P2P" downloading argue that people downloading entertainment from the internet is a kind of stealing. They persuade people to perceive that although the downloaded data cannot be touched and the owners' loss is questionable, the downloaders' behavior is the same as the thefts'.
Even though many shares on the internet contain copyrighted materials, I don't think they should be seen as stealing. It is all right to borrow CDs, VCDs and DVDs from the library. Why it become wrong if we "borrow" them from the internet? I was used to borrow some popular music CDs from library for free. But the habit has been changed since I discovered that I could get them from the internet more conveniently. They both are a kind of borrowing without actually possessing their hard copies. It seems unreasonable if I will become a thief simply because of my lazy.
Some also believed that "BitTorrent" downloading can cause deterioration of the entertainment industry. Having advantage of speed and convenience, the downloading discourages people to buy entertainments. Fewer sales mean less income. Then the singers and movie makers will be less eager to show their creativity. The number of newcomers will decrease. There can be a vicious circle.
Nevertheless, their belief is questionable. Interestingly, the downloading can also be beneficial for the industry. The downloading can encourage consumers get in touch with broader products. Downloading becomes advertising. Additionally, according to a foreign research, there is no strong link between the attitude of buying a product and the availability of downloading it from the internet. It is because the potential buyers will buy the products even if they have downloaded them. For example, I have bought several CDs that I have downloaded their soft copies before. What really matters the sales most remains unchanged: quality.
More importantly, the downloading can provide a way to prevent customers from buying something unworthy. Sellers often mislead consumers to buy their products. They only provide limited and biased information to consumers. Why don't we acknowledge that the downloading is an unbounded way for customers to try a product and decide whether they should buy it?
Finally, I would say that although Hong Kong people will not continue to break the law and upload copyrighted entertainment, as the prosecution has already set an example to deter people from doing it again, entertainment downloading will be continued. It is because there is no case of people being prosecuted for simply downloading the entertainment. But more importantly, uploaders around the world will not be seriously affected by this single and local prosecution.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong
Chris Wong
I chose the difficult side in this writing. Because I don't think a computer enthusiast who often downloads music and movies will write this kind of letter for his regret. Or do i go astray? Please comment on my writing, especially whether my content is consistent with the topic. Thanks in advance!
Question:
The government has successfully convicted a person of infringing copyright. The person has used internet technology to upload movies and allow other users to download them.
You are a computer enthusiast and you often download music and movies. Write a letter to the editor of the Young Post commenting on the rights and wrongs of downloading entertainment from the internet and whether you think people will continue to break the law when they risk being prosecuted. Sign your letter "Chris Wong".
Dear Editor,
The issue of people using computer software to download movies or other entertainments from the internet has aroused wide concern since a person was successfully convicted by the Hong Kong government of infringing copyright as he had used "BitTorrent" to share copyrighted movies to other users. Being a computer and entertainment downloading enthusiast, I feel compelled to write this letter and share my comment on the rights and wrongs of this subject.
Opponents of "P2P" downloading argue that people downloading entertainment from the internet is a kind of stealing. They persuade people to perceive that although the downloaded data cannot be touched and the owners' loss is questionable, the downloaders' behavior is the same as the thefts'.
Even though many shares on the internet contain copyrighted materials, I don't think they should be seen as stealing. It is all right to borrow CDs, VCDs and DVDs from the library. Why it become wrong if we "borrow" them from the internet? I was used to borrow some popular music CDs from library for free. But the habit has been changed since I discovered that I could get them from the internet more conveniently. They both are a kind of borrowing without actually possessing their hard copies. It seems unreasonable if I will become a thief simply because of my lazy.
Some also believed that "BitTorrent" downloading can cause deterioration of the entertainment industry. Having advantage of speed and convenience, the downloading discourages people to buy entertainments. Fewer sales mean less income. Then the singers and movie makers will be less eager to show their creativity. The number of newcomers will decrease. There can be a vicious circle.
Nevertheless, their belief is questionable. Interestingly, the downloading can also be beneficial for the industry. The downloading can encourage consumers get in touch with broader products. Downloading becomes advertising. Additionally, according to a foreign research, there is no strong link between the attitude of buying a product and the availability of downloading it from the internet. It is because the potential buyers will buy the products even if they have downloaded them. For example, I have bought several CDs that I have downloaded their soft copies before. What really matters the sales most remains unchanged: quality.
More importantly, the downloading can provide a way to prevent customers from buying something unworthy. Sellers often mislead consumers to buy their products. They only provide limited and biased information to consumers. Why don't we acknowledge that the downloading is an unbounded way for customers to try a product and decide whether they should buy it?
Finally, I would say that although Hong Kong people will not continue to break the law and upload copyrighted entertainment, as the prosecution has already set an example to deter people from doing it again, entertainment downloading will be continued. It is because there is no case of people being prosecuted for simply downloading the entertainment. But more importantly, uploaders around the world will not be seriously affected by this single and local prosecution.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong
Chris Wong
