Piracy

Ever since the invention of the Internet, it has become one of the most important aspects of our everyday lives, whether it is for business, education, personal, or political reasons. New opportunities arose for new concept businesses, and also employment opportunities due to this powerful technology which in turned spawned many other technological advances. These technological advances enhanced communication, business processes, efficiency, and re-defined entertainment. It is a global phenomenon, and its discovery has brought us into the Internet Age.

It cannot be denied that the Internet benefits our society greatly, but at the same time, the same technology has been used to create more opportunities for theft and unauthorized distribution. This violates copyrights, and affects various industries which produce the materials used for illegal file sharing. Two main industries have been suffering from the downloading phenomenon - the Music (Recording) industry, as well as the Movie industry. Unauthorized distribution of AV (Audio-Visual) media is the fastest and largest within the piracy scene, as "ripped" movies and music can be done very quickly.

This process of stealing materials and re-distributing them for free to the public is called Piracy. It was once a complex process, but now, it can be easily done with a click of the mouse by anyone with access to the Internet. It has caused much controversy, as piracy is warmly welcomed by many, especially the young, even though it violates copyright laws of movie production and record companies. It also benefits the celebrity's popularity as it provides exposure.