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Christian Piracy
- 09/21/10
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Yesterday I wrote that Sex Isn’t Selling. I followed an article from Canadian Business magazine showing that the porn industry is falling upon hard times. It is easy to be glad that the industry is suffering, but it is suffering for all of the wrong reasons. One of the things that is destroying the porn economy is piracy. And as I thought about piracy, I had to admit that Christians are not a whole lot better here than unbelievers. The same piracy that threatens the porn industry is damaging Christian music labels and artists.
Some time ago Bob Kauflin posted some thoughts on MP3 downloads and copies (link). Bob serves as director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries, and as a pastor and worship leader at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Having just finished reading The Future of Music
He provided a brief summary of the current copyright laws governing music. “Copyright laws still exist. Basically, the Copyright Office says:”
Uploading or downloading works protected by copyright without the authority of the copyright owner is an infringement of the copyright owner’s exclusive rights of reproduction and/or distribution. Anyone found to have infringed a copyrighted work may be liable for statutory damages up to $30,000 for each work infringed and, if willful infringement is proven by the copyright owner, that amount may be increased up to $150,000 for each work infringed. In addition, an infringer of a work may also be liable for the attorney’s fees incurred by the copyright owner to enforce his or her rights.… The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) site makes exceptions for personal copies:
Owning a CD means you own one copy of the music, and the U.S. record industry believes you should be able to make whatever personal use you choose. For example, you may make a compilation recording (on tape or on a CD) to use in the car or while exercising. But it’s a very different matter - and clearly neither legal nor fair - to make a copy of that CD or even one song available on the Internet for others to take.
Despite the clarity of the law, many people continue to ignore it. This is true both within the church and without. A Barna report (link) from 2004 showed that only 1 in 10 Christian teenagers believe that music piracy is morally wrong. This varied very little from the percentage of non-Christian teenagers who believe the same. I don’t think a lot has changed over the past 6 years except that more and more adults are now equally ambiguous about piracy. After all, everyone’s doing it, and when everyone does something, it is easy to think that we can do it too.
As Bob says, “Christians have a higher standard than ‘everyone’s doing it.’ Romans 13:1, Deut. 5:19, and Eph. 4:28 come to mind. While file sharing, copying CD’s for friends, and downloading music illegally is easy and attractive, it’s still wrong, despite our rationalizations.” I have been amazed in talking to friends, and young people in particular, just how little they care for copyright laws. Excuses abound: “Everyone is doing it. The music companies don’t really care. The artists say they don’t care if we download their music.” I am even more amazed when I hear young people talk about pirating Christian music (I recently spoke to a young man who had pretty well the complete Sovereign Grace music collection but it was all illegally copied). I’ve even spoken to people who laugh, saying, “You don’t want to lend me your music. I’ll just copy it.” Long before I stopped buying CDs (I now buy almost all of my music online) I stopped loaning those CDs to other people.
Now I tend to agree that the music industry is going to have to change. I also agree that, by and large, pirated music has benefited many artists and many record companies since people are able to listen to a much wider variety of music than they ever could if they had to purchase it all. Sooner or later people who copy music tend to buy it as well. Derek Webb proved as much when he offered his CD Mockingbird free in its entirety and found that, while the album was downloaded some 80,000 times, not only did CD sales increase, but so did attendance at his concerts. I suspect other artists would find the same. Some of the more creative artists have been able to pretty much build their business model on free albums but paid merchandise and paid concerts.
So the times are changing and will change. The music companies are going to have to stop swimming against the current and are going to have to figure out a way of surviving and thriving in this new world. They can do both, but will need to be willing to adapt and let go of some long-held but outdated ways of doing business. To this point many have been stubborn, but they will change. They will have to.
Until then, we are bound by the law. We are bound by both God’s law and the law of the land to respect the copyright rules. As Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” What disturbs me far more than the actual individual acts of piracy is the mindset and worldview that allows Christians to do such a thing. It is only a secularized worldview that would allow a Christian to do something that so clearly violates the law. It shows clear evidence of the moral relativism that is so prominent in our culture and so foreign to Scripture.
In her book Total Truth Nancy Pearcey discusses a woman she met who professed to be a Christian and yet worked at Planned Parenthood. Clearly there was something wrong with this woman’s mindset that she could work at a place that was so unbiblical and even antibiblical. It seems to me that those who pirate music are doing something much the same. They are ignoring God’s laws and are doing something that directly conflicts with their statement of faith. People who commit music piracy are, at some place in their lives, forsaking a Christian view of the world, a Christian way of seeing life. They are thinking like the world rather than thinking like Christ. Most of them know this, but continually violate their consciences and continually thumb their noses at what they know to be right. This concerns me (and ought to concern them) because a mindset that allows music piracy is one that will undoubtedly allow other violations of both law and conscience. The first sin is usually the most difficult one. Subsequent sin becomes easier as the conscience is hardened and as the heart is polluted.
The fact is that laws are are not ours to tamper with and interpret as we see fit. The ruling is clear: according to the laws of the land and the copyright of those who own the music, we have no right to copy or distribute it. Period. It makes no difference how much money the record companies make, how rich the artists are, how poor we are or how annoying and outdated the laws may be. It makes no difference how much we despise the militancy of the record companies and their irrationalities.
Interestingly, the first comment at Bob’s site begins with “I personally don’t believe in committing music piracy…” And perhaps this is the problem. This should not be a personal decision. Some things are fully, objectively right and others are really, objectively wrong. Music piracy is wrong. Period. This is not an issue of conscience or an issue of sorting better from best. There is nothing to ponder, nothing to wrestle with, and nothing to fret about. There is nothing that calls for some kind of a personal reflection or decision (just as there is no reason to worry about whether or not we should march into record stores, pull CD’s from the shelves, and walk out of the store without paying for them). Just don’t do it. It’s really that easy.
If you have a hard drive or MP3 player filled with pirated music, you owe it to yourself, to the rightful owners, to the copyright holders and to God to erase it. I might venture so far as to suggest that you ought to purchase that music yourself since you have already benefited from the enjoyment of it. At the very least, repent of your sin, ask for forgiveness, and commit to obeying the laws of our land. Commit to obeying God.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (76)
Out of interest, would you say that any amount of speeding is moral reprehensible as well?
I have a feeling this post will generate more comments than any in a long time.
I chose to quit downloading music back in the 90s when Napster was still up and running. I’m glad I did and I certainly haven’t had to deal with guilt for the past fifteen years or so. In this vein, I agree with almost everything you say.
Here’s the one area where I don’t…you said, “It makes no difference how much money the record companies make, how rich the artists are, … the militancy of the record companies and their irrationalities.” In this, you leave no room for civil disobedience. Where would we be with civil rights if we’d taken this stance in the 50s and 60s, and not defied the laws of the land then? Hello, Jim Crow.
After all, $30K for a single infringement…is that fair by any measure? I’ve seen cases in the news where a mom had to pay millions for songs her kids had downloaded. Drunk drivers kill our family members and don’t even come close to this kind of penalty. Why? Because we worship the almighty dollar more than the sanctity of life. As believers, we must fight idolatry as hard as we fight theft, even when it is embedded in the culture.
Not that I’m defending “piracy” in any way (I’ve gotten rid of downloaded mp3’s that I didn’t pay for, long ago - I still download music, but only the stuff I pay for, or that the artists make available for free) , but I think the issue is simply not as black and white/clear cut as you make it out to be. There are definitely gray areas… For instance, here in Brazil, there have been a few court decisions saying that it isn’t illegal to download music as long as you are not making a profit (like burning cd’s and selling them, for instance). Food for thought…
I agree that we are bound by the laws as they currently are. That said, if I was a performing artist there is no way I would base my income off of CD sales, or music sales for that matter. The merch & show tickets are where it is at, and where it will be for the immediate future. I love the whole free download/pay if you like it model. I also much prefer the modern option of selecting a song or two off an album for purchase over having to get the whole album. I have definitely enjoyed a wider range of music in the digital age because I no longer have all my allotted $$$ tied up in one disk, I can now select across a range of music as I feel inspired.
downloading music is not illegal in Canada.with that legal prohibition out of the way, is there really anything objectively morally wrong with ‘piracy’, outside of human laws?Was there anything wrong with lending CDs/tapedecks to friends prior to the age of ripping?Or lending a legitimately-purchased book to a friend for their enjoyment?Who is going to tell me how I choose to do with the products I purchase?
Does Canada not have copyright laws? I somehow find that hard to believe…
Weird that I can borrow a book from a friend (or a library), get benefit and enjoyment from it, and not have to pay the author a cent. Many will say “But you didn’t make a copy of the book—-you eventually had to give it back to the owner.” True, but in most cases you only read a book once so it doesn’t matter that you don’t physically get to keep the book in your home (and you can always borrow the book again anyway if you wish). Physical property is not the issue here, whether it is literature or music—-intellectual property is.
So, if you are suggesting that we pay the artists for any music that we have benefited from but not paid for, then it would follow we should pay the authors for any books that we have borrowed and read.
Metallica isn’t angry that you have digital copies on your computer—-Metallica is angry that you are listening to their music for free. Authors of books could make the same claim, but since the Law allows for it we don’t make a fuss.
It seems the real issue is intellectual property rights, and if so, then shouldn’t we be more concerned with the Spirit of the Law?
We as Christians ought to obey the laws that are in place, even unjust, mammon-glorifying ones such as “intellectual property”. But we can also work to have them overturned and replaced with more reasonable alternatives.
I suspect the music industry will return to where it was before recorded music existed in the first place: Musicians will make their money from ticket sales. The ability to record and play back audio has only existed for a century or so (and some might argue that the quality of music has only declined during that time). It’s certainly more “democratic” now, to be sure, but I’m not convinced that’s a good thing. In the days before recorded music, you actually needed substantial talent and resources to be successful. Now, however, nearly any absurd jester can make a career out of it. Consider, for example, Lady Gaga.
With the advent of the digital age, where duplication can be made for minute fractions of a cent, it’s going to be increasingly difficult to tell people that they have to pay a premium to buy from Herr Gutenberg, when they have a superior printing press of their own.
Imagine a comedian going on stage in a comedy club and before he starts his routine, telling the audience that when they go home, they’re not allowed to share his jokes with those who didn’t attend.
As a graphic artist, I expect to be paid for my time and the initial production of my work, the “commission”, if you will. I don’t expect to receive royalties whenever my work sells, or when someone copies and pastes duplicates of my work. It never ceases to amaze me that there are other artists (many of whom are my friends) who think they’re entitled to this ongoing income. I’m afraid they’re less worried about whether it’s just, or edifying, and are more concerned with how much wealth they can stockpile, and how quickly.
I am certainly no stranger to the allure of wealth, of course, but this is one area where I simply think it’s not right to establish tollbooths on the freeway of ideas, poetry, music, art, beauty.
There are definitely some gray areas. For example, what about selling CDs, books, and DVDs at a garage sale? Thrift stores sell just such items that have been donated, and the recording companies don’t get a cut of the proceeds. Does that somehow violate the law?
Another issue would be uploading a home video to YouTube with a popular song as a soundtrack. Honestly, I don’t understand how that’s a violation of copyright law if the song in question was purchased legally.
This can’t go anywhere good. Browse any internet forum that lend themselves to discussion about piracy (music, technology, etc.) and the pattern is the same. People willing to take what isn’t theirs will justify it by any means necessary. Period.
This topic will certainly generate a lot of comments. This seems to be a huge battlefront nowadays.
I only recently (Within the past few years, as corresponds with my conversion) stopped pirating. I am a web developer/designer, and in my line of work there is other content which is available through illegal channels, that makes my job much easier. I did not stop at music. There was a feeling of prestige that went along with saying, “yeah, I’m the guy who can get you anything.” I was a member of many high-profile, invite-only sites that offered literally millions of dollars worth of software, music, movies, graphics, etc. That is a powerful bond to break.
I engaged in all of the political rhetoric as well. Should record companies be making millions when artists make pennies? No, but what does that have to do with my adherence to the rules? Should we engage in civil disobedience? Where is the government asking me to break one of God’s commands? Rather, following Christ’s example, should we not, “pay the temple tax, even though we are exempt?”
How holy is too holy? The justifications I came up with to continue seemed to akin to a teenager asking how far they could go on a date without sinning.
What it comes down to is, we desire something, (music, software, etc.) something we don’t need, and we desire it so much that we are willing to create justifications for breaking the law. A stupid, antiquated law? To be sure. One that needs to be reformed and rewritten? Absolutely. But the Bible verse that says, “impact change in your government by disobeying the laws I’m silent on.” escapes me for the moment.
For me, my resistance to change in this area was a real indicator of my heart before God. Where is my treasure? What is really of importance in this life? And even if I’m wrong, which I don’t believe I am, shouldn’t I stop to avoid being a stumbling block to my weaker brother? As Christians we are called to a life of suffering. If not getting the latest single from Brittney Spears for free is the apex of my tribulations in this modern age, then I should count it as all joy. How near-sighted have we become?
I think this law is the same for photocopies of whole books or partially, right?
This is such a gray area for me- maybe someone can give me guidelines to help my conscience. I’m in charge of the library at our church. When I add a new CD to the libary, people check it out- probably to burn their own copy. When the Jonathan Park CDs started skipping, I burned backup copies because I don’t want to pay the money to replace them. I’m I doing anything illegal or immoral?
So libraries are violating the law? I do not see where you are going with this.
If you do not make a copy of the material (digital or otherwise), then it is not piracy (i.e. stealing). I think I missed your point.
I somehow knew there would be comments galore from folks who continue to justify stealing music from others.
Just obey the laws!! Stop pirating music. Period.
The music industry has been out of date since the computer went mainstream. So have the laws against sharing. They are outmoded and need to change. Plus I do not believe the recording industries spin . When AC/DC released Black Ice a couple of years ago , it was leaked on the net a month before its original release. However it went on to sell over 7 million units that year and almost 800000 units in its first week. As Radiohead proved and Derek Webb as well , offer it free and see a benefit on other side.
Plus even back in the day , the industry knew that people were taping music and sharing with friends . I can remember hooking up my cassette recorder to my turntable and sharing music with my friends. This was when the industry was in a boom. No complaints then . They were only concerned with profiting.
I worked in a music store for almost 5 years . Knowing the price to produce Cd’s , it is a rip off to be paying anything more than 9.99 for any new Cd . Plus the artist doesn’t get much for their efforts. Most of it benefits record companies . It is better now than before but artist need to to start moving away from record company based distribution.
As to the issue of illegal downloading. In Canada as the laws exist , it is not illegal to share music . It is illegal to profit from it or to sell it in anyway. Have I downloaded , I admit I have . Most of my purchases are form i-tunes or from free music sites but I have used torrents to sample music to see if I think its worth paying for . It I like it , I buy it .If not , I delete it. I love the fact many artist like Bebo Norman , are letting you stream new music in its entirety before purchase. Most of our local car dealers will allow you to have a car for a day or more , if they think you will buy. Artist should be the same. True fans will support the artist . I personally like the idea of giving a free will donation , just like Derek Webb did . The benefit to the artist would be great and it would be a big dent , I think , in illegal downloads.
Are people really comparing pirating music (and movies by the way) to civil disobedience? Are they really saying “well it’s only human laws”?
Give me a break. Since when is “Thou shalt not steal” a merely human law?What did the civil rights leaders steal or destroy in their civil disobedience?
Tim is right. Any attempt to justify stealing music is sin. When the law changes, the law changes, but it hasn’t. Not even in Canada.
I would suggest that a church library lending out CD’s probably ought to stop the practice, simply because it knows (or ought to know) that, for any popular CD, your whole youth group has probably ripped the files onto their computers by now.
Two things:
1. I stand corrected on the Canadian law thing.
2.Where copying laws exist, how exactly do music companies profits and their desire for them even factor into this?
the law should be obeyed, but Christian artists should allow copies to be made of there works and distributed ala Derek Webb, or at at a minimum allow live show recordings and distributions.
Clarification:
I just went online to check our laws up here in Canada about music copying.
It is not illegal to copy music, even from friends, provided the copy is made from a legally purchased CD.So downloading music for free, that is not intended to be downloaded for free, is still illegal in Canada. In fact making your own music available via computer, for friends to copy, is illegal, as is making a copy for your friends from your own legally obtained CD.Whoever has the copy, even if it’s from a friends CD, has to have made the copy themselves.
Convoluted I know, but there ya go. You can copy, but only if you make the copy yourself and if it’s a copy of a legally purchased CD or file.
I have a lot of opportunities to work with teenagers and it is amazing how nonchalant they are about music sharing. I will hear them call out to their friends, hey can you make me a copy of that CD. Or I need your IPOD after worship so that I can get some songs off of it. It is blatant and pervasive.
I pulled aside one of the teens. And just asked did he think it was stealing. At first he denied it was, but after we talked a little bit, he admitted that it was in fact stealing. So I asked him what he should do. The conclusion was to remove the songs from the IPOD and then purchase them. However, when I asked if he was going to do it, he said that if he did he wouldn’t have any songs to listen to and went on his way.
The problem is people will say it is stealing, but do not truly believe it is stealing.
www.studyyourbibleonline.com
I’ve been a big-time CD collector for the last twenty years and I have the media towers to prove it. :-) Besides the pleasure of listening to the music plus the lack of digital compression and DRM (digital rights management) hassles, printed artwork and liner notes, the security of an offline backup copy, etc., I enjoy the clear conscience that comes from paying for the products that I use. I do have several thousand “ripped” tracks on my LAN NAS, but 99.44% of the tracks are from the CDs I own, with the remainder being downloads of tracks that are no longer under copyright (more on that in a bit). (A big advantage to ripping tracks from my own CDs: if my NAS hard drive crashes I don’t lose all my songs; I just have to rerip them from CD.)
For those folks who aren’t in a position to invest in CDs as I’ve done, I’d like to offer several suggestions:
1. Look for the free and legal song downloads that many artists are making available. If an artist has chosen to share a song with you, you’re more than free to take advantage of their generosity, but do make it a point to say “thanks” by buying a track or two from them if you enjoy the freebie. Remember that the laborer is worthy of his hire (pay).
2. Listen to streaming Internet radio or over-the-air radio. If you hear something you like, buy a CD or pay for a downloaded track.
3. Share your CDs with your friends, and borrow CDs from your friends, without making copies. If you hear something you really like, buy the CD or pay to download the tracks you like. If you don’t like something so much, why bother keeping a copy anyway?
4. Discover the joys of public domain music. In most of the world, recordings that are older than 50 years are copyright-free and therefore may be shared freely. (Note: CD _compilations_ of public domain songs _are_ copyrighted _as compilations_, so don’t share tracks you rip from such CDs. The stuff you _can_ share are tracks transferred directly from LPs, 45s, and 78s that were published prior to the copyright cutoff.) Obviously, this is older music that isn’t going to be in today’s styles, but I’ve personally been amazed by how much excellent music of all genres was recorded in the first half of the 20th Century. Bonus: most songs > 50 years old are free of explicit sexual content, although you still need to watch out for double entendres not to mention endemic romantic idolatry (e.g., “I’ll love you as long as the stars are in the sky…”). Even if you’re a young person I encourage you to check out older music. I know some folks in their late teens to early twenties who enjoy Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc., as well as more contemporary sounds.
Nutshell: there’s so much good/great music that you can enjoy legally, why bother with piracy?
Dave
The link for the Bob Kauflin article doesn’t work. I’d really like to read it. Thanks!
This is why I subscribe to a service like Napster. It allows you LEGALLY listen to full-length songs without buying them. With something like iTunes, you can listen to a 30-second sample but, beyond that, you need to buy the song. You then own a license for that song. With Napster, you pay a monthly fee and listen to whatever you want. At the end of the day, you don’t own anything (unless you also choose to buy), but you can listen to far more music than you otherwise would have. For our family, it’s been worth the monthly fee.
Also, I’d add that software piracy is a big issue nowadays. Using the same peer-to-peer technology as sharing mp3’s, people pirate software (PhotoShop, Final Cut, etc.) that normally costs more than a buck or two.
I was convicted on this issue a while ago, attracted by the ease of it. But like you said, Tim, this isn’t a subjective thing. It’s objective and it’s wrong. Use the stuff the way the law lets you use it.
Tom
Dave, where do you find this public domain music?
ThanksTom
Those are not fair comparisons. Fair comparisons to what happens now are “Was there anything wrong with copying a CD/tape and giving it to friend?” “Or photocopying a legitimately purchased book to a friend for enjoyement?” Not that many people did the latter.
There is a stark difference between loaning your only copy to a friend for a while so he can enjoy the product and therefore going without versus copying it so that you are both enjoying it at the same time while only making one purchase.
It is my understanding that it is perfectly legal to make a backup copy of a CD an institution or individual owns.
Thanks for a great article, Tim. I personally don’t see all of the gray in this issue as many of your other readers apparently do, but perhaps that’s the artist in me. I’ve often likened pirating music to making copies of an artist’s paintings instead of supporting them by actually buying their work. I doubt that too many people would see copying the work of a visual artist as being acceptable, so why is taking the work of a music artist without paying for it judged as being above reproach? I think that if the people pirating music tried to see this issue from a starving artist’s perspective, they too would discover that gray is only the result of blending black and white.
In one of the online bible software forums I participate, the issue of free access to God’s Word is used to justify the taking of software. Others claim that because they purchased an XYZ (translation) Bible, de facto, they are entitled to the XYZ module for their favorite software.
The fact that we’re debating the limits of this only shows how broken and self-serving we are.
If only … someone would write a book on “Discernment” for us… Oh that’s right, I recently purchased the hardback… so I’m entitled to the Kindle version…eh?
I have recorded and released 3 of my own CD’s. People ‘pirate’ them all the time. People also support me all the time. I take the same approach as Paul: I ask that people support my projects, and not steal from the people who do. But I’m not going to put 10 bucks in front of singing for and about Jesus Christ.
I’m not going to cry and moan about having a “right” to make a living off music. Paul sure didn’t say anything like that….quite the opposite, really. He had a side job to make up the difference.
In other words, I’m not too worried. This is a God thing and there is a bigger picture.
The biggest problem for Christians is that “content producers” have created an entirely artificial morality and market surrounding “intellectual property”. This is a concept that didn’t exist until relatively recently. In trying to make sure they can take advantage of these artificial monopolies, they have completely dominated the legal landscape with a framework that, if left up to them, would maximize profits and really doesn’t care about music or lyrics.
This is completely artificial and not based in a Christian moral code, or even really free market economics. (That’s why teenagers don’t really care. They can’t see anything wrong with copying because there really isn’t anything wrong with copying other than the legality of it.) You’re depriving people of money only through a moral code that only existed because records were hard to mass produce.
Now they’re not, and this should be great for the Gospel but instead everyone’s worried about what RIAA lobbyists think is wrong.
Obey the law. Observe the framework. But we should understand that this framework is all there is, and dominates any attempt to see a different way. Wherever possible Christian artists should lead the way in eliminating, old, crufty artificial moralities that get in the way of the Gospel.
As many of the comments give evidence to, it never even believers can give lengthy dissertations to justify their sin.
Prime example: “anything objectively morally wrong with ‘piracy’?” i.e. is there anything morally wrong with breaking the law?
This sin thing, it’s such a ‘gray area’. Like, what if a snake slithered up to me and said “did God really say you shall not steal? Surely that is not sin to copy and distribute copyrighted material. After all, libraries do it. Speeding is not always morally wrong is it? Surely God wasn’t talking about little ole MP3’s all those years ago. Surely you will not be punished for such a small thing.”
Another ‘justification of sin’ example just posted:
“they can’t see anything wrong with copying because there really isn’t anything wrong with copying other than the legality of it.”
Other than that old legal thing, there’s nothing wrong with it!
“I’m not going to cry and moan about having a “right” to make a living off music. Paul sure didn’t say anything like that….quite the opposite, really. He had a side job to make up the difference.”
Uhh, was Paul selling the gospel for a price originally or something, and then people started to give it away for free? I thought the gospel was always free? I’m not seeing the comparison.
“Other than that old legal thing, there’s nothing wrong with it!”
Exactly.
There have been plenty of immoral things that were legal, and plenty of moral things that are illegal. And there are plenty of things that don’t matter either way.
“I thought the gospel was always free?”
Not the expression of it is in a book or a recording. Now it is—by the law of the gool ol U.S. of A.—property. Even if you’re dead. Even if you didn’t renew the copyright. Or even if you never filed for copyright.
Which makes such expressions very profitable if you can drum up enough demand.
I think making this discussion about whether it is ok to download or copy “Christian” music or teaching is totally irrelevant. Is it really ok to sell the gospel? How can you copyright worship? I for one, wouldn’t want to claim it as my intellectual property. Is worship or preaching/teaching really the property of the man that delivers it or the Holy Spirit who should be inspiring it? Is it for the body or not?
Either it is ministry, which we shouldn’t charge a fee for or it is a product…in which case, don’t call it worship or preaching. And don’t set up shop in the Temple…we know what Jesus thought of that….
And why does one segment of the body get to own and sell their contribution to the kingdom? Is it ok for my elder to copyright his prayers for me, and charge me a fee if I am sick and go to him? Is ok for my son’s Sunday School teacher to charge admission? After all, her teaching is her intellectual property. Can I start charging a fee to the believers I’m discipling? Should we be able to profit from any kingdom service? Where do we draw the line? When did preaching and worship become products to be bartered, rather than what we do in order for God to receive glory, for the body to be built up?
The so called “Christian” music industry is a disgrace. Adultery, homosexuality, extravagant and worldly living. It looks just like the non-christian music industry. It has a dismal record of corrupting it’s artists. I, for one, want no part of it. Free or otherwise.
Perhaps this was mentioned earlier, but I’m also concerned with the number of churches that put the words from songs and chorus, also copyrighted, up on the screen for all to sing from. The copyrighted info is often displayed at the end of the last stanza, however without indication of written permission from the songwriter, or firm representing them we are still breaking the law. I believe in order to do this, display the song on the big screen, you have to have purchased sufficient copies of the chorus or hymn so that all in attendance could sing from the purchased music. The other option is you need written permission from the musician, author or publisher and this written permission must be indicated on the displayed copy. I worked in the Photographic and Audio Visual Field all my working life and I’m ashamed of the number of Professionals that broke the law. Folks have a right to make an honest living, let’s not rob them of their just compensation.
We must be above the law breakers.
This is no gray area, and saying “this is a gray area for me” only demonstrates the individuals’ willingness to create their own law, to be their own authority. And it is in no way comparable to libraries lending books, or me lending or selling my books and CDs (although I will rarely lend a CD because almost everyone is willing to steal digital product, it seems). Libraries don’t take an author’s work and publish it themselves, cutting the author out of his pay, nor do I. If I own a product, I have a right to lend, sell it, or give it away. But I don’t have a right to reproduce patented or copywrited product.
It also is not primarily a legal issue, though it is that (we must obey the law). Law or no law, this is a moral issue. It is nothing less than walking into a store and shoplifting the CD. Would that not still be sin even if it was legal? Or, it is like hiring a job done, and then refusing to pay the bill. Everyone who produces products and/or services deserves to be paid for them. They have a moral right to their pay. And suggesting that artists are immorally mercenary in expecting pay for their products is a self-serving cheap shot and a rejection of the plain words of Scripture: “The laborer is worthy of his hire.”
To Anonymous @ 1:23, Many (most?) churches purchase a CCLI license to allow them to display lyrics for songs (http://www.ccli.com/WhatWeOffer/WhatYouCanDo.aspx). I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that, at least in this respect, many churches are following the law.
“the law should be obeyed, but Christian artists should allow copies to be made of there works and distributed ala Derek Webb, or at at a minimum allow live show recordings and distributions.”
They should give away other people’s work — the band, the sound techs, the light techs, the set designers?
If all of those people don’t have a problem with their work being distributed, great. But in that case, they’re already allowing videos and recording at the venue. If those people don’t agree to their work being distributed free, then it’s not up to the guy at the top of the bill to decide who else loses their royalty rights.
you’re assuming the techs, set designers own the royalty rights, which is not necessarily true.
I think most Christians would like to “just obey the laws,” but copyright laws are extremely complicated, which is why we have so many copyright lawyers. One of the most confusing aspects can be found in Section 107 of Title 17 of the U.S. Code, otherwise known as the “fair use” clause. If you follow the link, you will see that even the Copyright Office can’t give a straight answer on what that means. They simply state that if you have any questions, you should consult an attorney.
I think the question many people have is “What constitutes pirating?” For instance, is the act of recording a TV show or football game in order to watch it later a copyright violation? What if I have cable TV and my friend doesn’t. If I record a movie or a game for him to watch with me, am I breaking the law?
Look at the thousands of sermon clips and worship songs uploaded to YouTube. Are those violations of copyright law, even if they were purchased legally?
As for a Christian’s conscience, are we to subscribe to the letter of the law, or do we go by how the courts interpret the law? And if those interpretations change over time, does our behavior change as well? In “free” countries like the U.S., how does that bear on the constitutional separation of powers, which dictates that only the legislature is allowed to make law?
I realize I’m stretching things a bit. My point is that it isn’t always as clear-cut as borrowing a CD from someone and copying it.
Wow, these comments have been truly eye-opening to me. I assumed that a large number of Christians probably pirate music, but I would not have guessed that too many of them would actually defend the practice. Reading these comments, a few questions pop into my head for those that believe that music piracy is acceptable for Christians:
-How can a Christian glorify God by taking copies of music without paying for them?
-How does this practice line up with Jesus’ command to treat others as we would want to be treated?
-Is pirating music really that different from swiping a CD from a store or a merchandise table at a concert?
Can’t help wondering…
Apparently in the UK (where I live), ripping CDs for personal use is technically illegal..and so is putting it onto a MP3 player..
Who said there wasn’t grey areas?
For this argument to make any sense, you have to delete the mp3’s from your computer/mp3 player when you “loan” the music to a friend. The file can change hands, but it cannot multiply.
Hmm. My comment above was supposed to be in response to Anonymous #5. But it showed up at the bottom of the comments, so it doesn’t make any sense in isolation.
Churches pay for a subscription to CCLI in order to use the lyrics. It’s completely legal. Look it up.
I’m not defending pirating at all - I think it robs people of hard-earned money just like it would for me to make a pdf of a book and email it to all my friends. However, I will say that if we’re going to follow the letter of the law here, we should do it in every other area (anyone seen how thick the tax code is? Chances are, you violate it every year because of your unwillingness to do your much-needed homework). We could start a blog and address a new area like this every day - but I’m sure not volunteering to do it.
Usually that copyright info presented at the end of a song includes a CCLI number, which means that the church purchased a bulk license to display the lyrics. Pretty sure more info on that can be found at ccli.com
“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” - 1 Jo. 3:4
This is slightly off the subject but it is in response to “Anonymous” who posted at 12.47pm. Maybe some think he was just ranting but I for one think he hit on a very very important issue. That is the “selling” of the gospel. I think Keith Green was also correct on this issue (I would disagree with him on others) when he was convicted about selling his albums (they were called albums back in those ancient times) and went to “Sparrow Records” to ask to be released from his contract. He was released and started to distribute his music on a “what you can afford” basis. All I am saying is the post really made me think; is it wise to make an “industry” out of ministry? The Christian music industry is in general (there may be execptions) just a business and I think IMHO that it shows. If Christian radio in the vein of “KLOVE” went forever off the air (which by the way my wife kind of likes) I would (to be totally honest) probably fall on my knees in grateful worship of the mercy of God.
This thread is very interesting. There are some who are defending piracy, but they are giving reasons for their view. There are others, on the opposing side, who are amazed that Christians would defend piracy. They are speaking with a sort of moral snobbery that they seem to believe exempts them from having to actually interact with the arguments that those on the other side have given.
As a side issue, many other businesses have had to deal with the Web 2.0 attitudes out there, chief of which is that everything must be free. It has been a hard transition, but many have been making it. Christian artists, on the other hand, seem to continue to be willing to bury their head in the sand and hope that the problem goes away.
Finally, none of this is to say that stealing is acceptable. It is wrong and when it is clear that something is theft, it should be repented of and aborted.