Downloading music or films without paying is as much of a crime as stealing from a shop.
Copyright laws develop day by day. A decade ago, it was normal to download pirated movies or music because the Internet was just starting to spread. But nowadays, it’s frowned upon and even illegal in many countries.
This phenomenon has several causes. On the one hand, supporting artists is important. We live in a world where everything has a price tag: food, services, and intellectual property too. Art has no practical value (with a few exceptions, such as propaganda or agitation), but it is still labor that should be paid for. So why do I still disagree with the given statement?
Firstly, legal consumption does not guarantee good conditions for creators. This is clearly visible in the case of Japan, where their animation products are breaking sales records worldwide, yet animators still face underpayment and overtime. Secondly, creators pass away sooner or later, and copyright holders aren’t always concerned with spending money to renew licenses. As a result, it sometimes happens that valuable projects are preserved in history solely thanks to pirated copies. And lastly, as someone from Russia, I can’t ignore that some things are simply impossible to purchase legally without facing issues. And yet, I still believe that art matters, and staying in informational isolation is definitely not the best choice.
In conclusion, downloading without paying isn’t something good and I believe that we as a society should grow a respectful and helpful culture if we want to have more talented artists. But at the same time I disagree with the point that it is equal to theft.