Music Downloads – Legal Challenges

When you log on to a real qualitative website that provides scope for free music downloads, the only challenge before you is to find out whether the downloads are legal or not. Even free music downloads can be perfectly legal.

While millions of people like music and therefore look forward to downloading music online, it is not always possible to download paid music that could well be beyond the affordability levels for many customers. Moreover even the legal free music downloads have experienced challenges from the artists as well as the association of recording industry in United States.

Results of such legal tussles have been quite far reaching. In the year 2007, the Universal Music Group decided against renewing their contract with the iTunes. While Universal intended to charge more or less depending on the artist who provided the song or the music in the download, the iTune standard was a universal 99 cents per song. Industry leaders often felt that this is only the first of several show downs between the Apple Inc on one side and various record labels on the other.

Recording Industry Association of America, known as RIAA in short came up with a lawsuit against people who were downloading illegal music in the year 2003. Initially the idea of the RIAA in suing the individuals who were getting involved in illegal music downloads. It however took only a couple of years for every such critic to realize the value of the campaign. In fact the campaign could overcome one of the major legal challenges. Today RIAA files no less than 750 cases a month against the individuals who have been downloading music illegally. In the process they are trying to get the objective of putting an end to Internet music piracy accomplished.

One of the major criticisms against such steps taken by RIAA is that they do not invariably file cases against every wrong doer but uses the method of picking and choosing. In reply the RIAA comes up with the plea that suing people for illegal music download is not the same as targeting people for speeding ticket. Feeling that their steps could gradually bring up a sense of respect for copyrights among the wrong doers and people who are unwarrantedly getting involved in the spider web created by music and video pirates all over the world, the RIAA faithfully pursue its policy of suing people.

Back in the year 2003, Billboard compiled the first legal music downloads. However they could not achieve the mainstream acceptance in United States very soon. They had to wait till 2005 to get such acceptance. Digital sales and singles sales both started making their marks in the charts of Billboard from 2005 onwards included in Hot 100. In result many songs could reach the peak and even higher.

While these were the features of mp3 downloads in United States, Official download charts were introduced in United Kingdom a year later in 2004. It did not take long for the downloaded track to overcome the physical singles there and by 2005 the digital tracks were far ahead of the physical counterparts. This was more or less the scenario in entire Europe and other parts of the globe. People have realized by now that online music download has come to stay and something has to be done to keep it within legal limits. That was the greatest legal challenge of the time.

Basically a file sharing program, bearshare.com helps you to find and get free music downloads, both free and paid online. Viewers can also benefit from the quick locations and downloading facilities available on the P2P network. The website facilitates completely legal mp3 downloads.