Is it immoral to download music illegally?
Is it immoral to download music illegally?
user
Yes.
assistant
Why do you say so?
user
There is a system in place for music sales, and consumers have agreed to use that system.  When a consumer illegally downloads music without paying, that consumer is depriving the artist of income, and there is no public good that is achieved by this.
assistant
Many artists have more money than regular people though. Should that not be a factor?
user
There is not a public good that is achieved by taking money from an artist that is sufficient to have no negative impact on the artist, but not sufficient to cover the costs of running the business.  This causes extra hardship for the artist, and could result in the artist dropping out of business, which is also bad for the public.  The artist is already fairly well-off by historical standards, and there are certainly people who would agree to pay a small amount more for an album in order to help the artist.
assistant
Okay, I see what you mean.
user