Among the elaborate list of rights unalienable to any and all American citizens, are the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The last of these, the pursuit of happiness, is perhaps the most vague and the most commonly debated right historically. Above all, the main factor of this right that makes it so highly debated among people is its absolute ambiguity. What one person’s right to the pursuit of happiness might seem deplorable to another, and therefore contradicts what another would see as a pursuit of happiness. How then can any court rule against this unalienable right and deem somebody’s pursuit of happiness as unconstitutional? Among a vast majority of the earth’s population, a highly considered happiness is the right to freely listen to music.
Over the course of history, music has been considered a great American past time, and is arguably one of the greatest joys in life. John Denver, American singer/songwriter once said that,
Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves we are the same. (Tobier, 1991)
Because of feeling and beliefs evident in this statement and the widespread agreement that the love and passion for music falls under the umbrella of happiness, would sharing music with others not constitute as the pursuit of happiness? In 1999, an 18 year old created Napster, an online music sharing website that would shake the foundation of the music industry forever, and completely rewrite what online file-sharing would mean. Another similar case happened in 2006 when the Recording I...
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...he intellectual property of another. Even though Napster helped create what would become a wildly successful market of online music sales, it also served as the catalyst that would rewrite American copyright laws indefinitely.
Napster completely shut down in 2001 to comply with court orders and rulings. Later, in September, Napster tried re-opening but instead of offering its once free services, attempted to convert their services to a subscription type system. Napster is still currently in operation, but now has a $9.99 monthly membership charge that returns profits to recording companies and artists and now owned by Best Buy. So even though Shawn Fanning was not able to achieve his initial mission of bringing the world music, free of charge, he did, however, make it easier for people to globally share music. Of course, as long as they pay 99¢ for every download.
If one were to look back into the world’s history, one would find that an important and consistent element is the world of music. Music has presented itself in various forms throughout its spread and through our identification of its magical realm, people have been fortunate enough to come across a means of relation. Whether it is blues and reggae or rap and pop rock, there is music out there for everyone. Music can serve as a stabilizer for some, a relaxant to others, and to many a form of inspiration.
...ant in sharing something extraordinary that unites us all. Music is truly an indication of success for the expression of an emotion is a redemptive experience that not only one person feels but others as well. Traditional music as well as international music is a form of artwork that colors our world.
...omas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence, June 28, 1776) is just a figment of our founding fathers imaginations. We live day by day as citizens of a nation that doesn’t even abide by its own rules. I once read a picture that said “if we lie to the government it’s a felony, but if the government lies to us it’s just politics”. (N/A, facebook.com, May 5, 2014) That picture was really deep; it just goes to show the hypocrisy of the government and its officials. From doing this project it’s definitely safe to say that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence, June 28, 1776) is a human right that is being violated on a regular basis. We as people of the United States of American deserve the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence, June 28, 1776)
“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” For 240 years, these words have been engraved into the minds, hearts, souls, and lives of Americans everywhere. These words were written into the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. The Declaration of Independence is a historical document which declared the colonies of America to be free and independent states from Britain. It was a revolutionary and significant document in 1776 and the statement, “All men are created equal,” still remains significant in today’s society.
According to Thomas Jefferson, all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights. Unalienable rights are rights given to the people by their Creator rather than by government. These rights are inseparable from us and can’t be altered, denied, nullified or taken away by any government, except in extremely rare circumstances in which the government can take action against a particular right as long as it is in favor of the people’s safety. The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America mentions three examples of unalienable rights: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. I believe these rights, since they are acquired by every human being from the day they are conceived, should always be respected, but being realistic, most of the time, the government intervenes and either diminishes or
Everyone has the hunger to be free. We want to be left alone. We want to go about our lives, not having to conform to other people's demands. We want to be able to bear a firearm, to assemble peacefully, to vote in fair elections, to speak freely, and to practice religion, all without the government or a powerful group ordering us what we can and cannot do.
Music is an excellent way to bring people of all shapes and sizes together through a common interest. Works Cited H. W. Wilson Company, Inc. Franklin, Aretha. 2014. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the Info.
An “analyst” was quoted in the case (in 2002) as saying that “people will pay for music on the Internet, eventually.” This person was skeptical of the willingness of consumers to pay for
Chinese philosopher Confucius said, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without”. Music is everywhere and anywhere, in a park, in the car, in a school, even in the shower. Every day kids, teens, and even adults bond over the same music. I have played music almost all of my life and enjoy listening to it as well. Today I will discuss the amazing form of art that we call music. Specifically, I will go over the origin, different genres, and the influence of music on the world and people themselves.First, I will discuss the origin.
America the Country of the people, the land of the free where everyone is entitled rights and responsibilities that are vital in order to preserve their nations democratic government. The freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others, and also the freedom to express oneself. Those are just to name a few. Each of these has an importance in their government in order to maintain a vigorous nation.
Music plays a huge role in the structure of a society. It can have both negative and positive influence on cultures and communities. First, musical sounds and instruments can be a dividing factor between the people within the same culture. These opposing social and economic identities within these cultures can lead unnecessary animosity between the members. However, music can also be one of the forces that unite members of a culture and provide a sense pride for everyone. This makes it easier for people to display their identification to that culture.
According to the text A Gift of Fire, Napster “opened on the Web in 1999 as a service that allowed its users to copy songs in MP3 files from the hard disks of other users” (Baase, 2013, p. 192, Section 4.1.6 Sharing Music: The Napster Case). Napster was, however, “copying and distributing most of the songs they traded without authorization” (A Gift of Fire, Section 4.1.6 Sharing Music: The Napster Case). This unauthorized file sharing resulted in a lawsuit - “eighteen record companies sued for contributory infringement claiming that Napster users were blatantly infringing copyrights by digitally reproducing and distributing music without a license” (Communications Law: Liberties, Restraints and the Modern Media, 2011, p. 359).
The story really begins with Napster and its free software that allowed users to swap music across the Internet for free using peer-to-peer networks. While Shawn Fanning was attending Northeastern University in Boston, he wanted an easier method of finding music than by searching IRC or Lycos. John Fanning of Hull, Massachusetts, who is Shawn's uncle, struck an agreement which gave Shawn 30% control of the company, with the rest going to his uncle. Napster began to build an office and executive team in San Mateo, California, in September of 1999. Napster was the first of the massively popular peer-to-peer file sharing systems, although it was not fully peer-to-peer since it used central servers to maintain lists of connected systems and the files they provideddirectories, effectivelywhile actual transactions were conducted directly between machines. Although there were already media which facilitated the sharing of files across the Internet, such as IRC, Hotline, and USENET, Napster specialized exclusively in music in the form of MP3 files and presented a user-friendly interface. The result was a system whose popularity generated an enormous selection of music to download. Napster became the launching pad for the explosive growth of the MP3 format and the proliferation of unlicensed copyrights.
Music is continually around us. It is what we wake up to in the mornings, what we listen to as we drive, and what we begrudgingly tap our feet to as we wait for the elevator doors to open. Even when we were young, our mothers sang lullabies, proving that music has always been a piece of our lives. We have unknowingly allowed music to become part of who we are. It has influenced our emotions, choices, and our ability to learn and heal. In fact, it effects how we handle the different situations that we come to face. Music has woven itself into everything we are.
George Gershwin once said, “True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time. My people are Americans and my time is today.” Over the years, no form of art has attached itself to humanity more than music. Music has been creating and destroying cultures in the Twentieth Century at a very rapid rate. Fads come and go, but true music and the heart behind it never dies.