Download This

If you really wanted to stop illegal downloading you would have to make lawsuits more common. The only reason someone is going to give up getting something for free is if there is a legitimate risk involved. In 2003 only 261 people were sued for sharing music; in proportion to how many people illegally download music, this number is very small. They need to do more than make an example of a small percentage of those who share files and warn that it could happen to you too. No one believes it will actually happen to them because it so rarely happens. People have to believe that if they share files, they will be prosecuted. It is expensive and difficult for the RIAA to go after people and monitor the internet, but if illegal downloading is making as much of a financial impact as they claim, they need to invest the money to try to stop it now so they don't lose even more money in the long run. File sharing needs to be associated with something that people feel is an actual crime, like theft; most people feel it is not really stealing.

The Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2004 was a bill that actually proposed jail time if it became a law. It allowed up to three years of jail time for people who shared more than 1,000 songs on P2P networks. I think the idea of going to jail would be a much stronger deterrent than paying fines. If they really wanted to stop people from file sharing, they should have thrown a lot of money and legal power at getting this bill passed.

Only after people are legitimately worried about the consequence of downloading would advertising be effective. It would serve simply as a visual reminder of what would happen if they went against the law. One ad could start with a guy sitting on a bed listening to his mp3 player, and as the shot pans out, you pass through some bars, and realize he is in jail. The message would be something to the effect of "Aren't you glad you downloaded that music now? You're going to need all the entertainment you can get in here." Another ad could compare a $15 CD with $250,000 fine, and ask if it was really worth it. I am not great with clever taglines, but I am sure someone could come up with some great ideas for a campaign like this. A campaign that reminds people that it is an actual crime with a serious and real punishment behind it.