Music industries received a major win last week when a federal judged ordered Verizon to give out the name of one of its Internet subscribers to a record industry trade group. This customer was suspected of downloading several hundreds of unauthorized copies of songs from the Internet.

For several years, music industries and famed bands and singers, such as Metallica, have been using the courts to try to copyright their music on the Internet. They’ve already stopped companies such as Napster from aiding those who were downloading the songs. However, new ones such as Morpheus and KaZaA keep popping up and replacing them.

According to these artists, these companies are to blame for the decline in their CD profits. People are avoiding the costs of CD by burning their own songs at home on their computers. Therefore, the Recording Industry Association of America smelled trouble when they noticed one of Verizon’s customers downloading more than 600 songs in one day. However, it wasn’t until after a subpoena and about seven months of trial and paper work that Verizon finally gave into the association’s demands. Verizon kept insisting that its customers had a right to privacy.

Many people, especially students, may side with Verizon. They agree Verizon should not be forced to give up the names of their subscribers, because the subscribers have their own right to privacy. In fact, some may say giving up the customer’s name is a violation of the Constitution.

The main reason students agree with Verizon is they have an addiction they cannot control. Whether anyone admits it or not, everyone downloads music, and no one can stop. It’s like being hooked up to an IV of sweet MP3 currents. Pretty soon, new signs may hang around campus announcing MP3 Anonymous meetings.

Students like the fact they can save money. They love listening to their favorite singers, whether they are Dave Matthews or Eminem, without paying the $18 at the store.

However, these songs are the property of the singers. Just like no one has the property to steal a $25,000 Porsche from somebody’s garage, no one has the right to steal another person’s music. The notes, the lyrics, the melodies are the way these singers make their living. Downloading songs from the Internet can be akin to stealing the artists’ livelihoods.

But the only way students will learn is by enforcing piracy laws. When someone finally gets arrested, put in jail and fined, then students will realize their mistake. Those who have not realized they have stolen another person’s property may be frightened by the number of digits they see in the check they make out for the fines courts will hand down for the illegal downloading.