Digital Media and MP3s Online: Good or Bad?

Technology is making it easy for us to be dishonest, depending on how you view the ability to share digital files painlessly between computer clients without paying royalties. We have seen many examples of this (mostly in the form of MP3s and Napster-type sharing), and lately, potentially ALL forms of digital media are susceptible. Now, with relative ease, one can "find" almost any type of media file available (even complete software applications, DVDs, and games).

The record industry, developers, and even artists are screaming bloody murder while interest groups are looking to congress for help, even suggesting that our basic rights might need to be violated. And, with recent events in the world, lawmakers might just find the support they need to implement some violations of our freedoms (like being allowed to search freely any online or connected hard disk for shared or stolen mp3 files.

All this at a time when record sales are up sharply, prompting many to point to this success as a direct result of online sharing of digital media.

Use this basic and rough topic as the foundation for your research. Remember: Good research identifies and explains all sides (aspects) of the issue(s) at hand.