Illegal Downloading

A new policy statement from the RCA:

RCA Calls Upon Community to Desist from Downloading Copyrighted Music and Other Materials from the Internet

May 19, 2005 -- Whereas the Internet has improved our lives by allowing people to communicate with one another around the world with astounding ease, access fast-breaking news reports, and conduct scholarly research from the comforts of our homes; and yet,

Whereas the Internet has also enabled people to illegally download intellectual property covered by copyright, particularly music, thereby depriving record companies and artists of royalties due them by law; and,

Whereas such downloading and deprivation of royalties constitutes theft which is clearly prohibited both by secular law and Halacha for both Jews and non-Jews;

Therefore, the Rabbinical Council of America hereby calls upon our entire community, including Jews of all ages, to desist from illegally downloading music, Jewish as well as secular, and other forms of entertainment, in order to comply with the requirements of Halacha and the law of the United States.

As to the halakhic issues involved, I will b"n blog about it once I can find my copy of R. Zalman Nehemiah Goldberg's Tehumin article on the subject.