Why Popular Music is in the Public Domain

Paper Summary:

An investigation of the issues involved in downloading music from the Internet. The paper argues that popular music is not something owned by a particular group or by a particular individual, but is rather a ubiquitous genre that can best be seen as belonging to everyone and can be understood and enjoyed by all sectors of society. The paper further explains the difference between literature and music.

From the Paper:

"Given the recent furor over the "illegal" downloading of popular music from the internet, the issue of music and its ownership has been thrust into the spotlight as perhaps never before. The following paper will argue that popular music is not something owned by a particular group or by a particular individual but is, rather, a ubiquitous genre that can best be seen as belonging to everyone. This is more than simple communism. Music is among the most spontaneous of all the arts and, because of its aural nature, it is remarkably easy to transmit to others. Thus, while literature may be opaque to those who do not understand a language or to those who grapple with highly technical and/or opaque prose, the rhythms of music reach all of us in a deep and instinctual way."

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