There’s nothing innocent about the word “downloading- nowadays. Several years back when Pentium Pro?, Windows 95? and 28.8 kbps modems were the buzzword in the computer world, downloading was just a method for people to get free or trial software (applications, games, documents etc.) off some website or ftp site. Less than a decade later, downloading has almost become synonymous with piracy as its function extended into shady areas neighboring on the unlawful. Three factors contributed to this trend. Computer chips, having to answer to Moore’s Law, have sped up exponentially. Broadband internet connections which makes downloading of sizeable files at faster rates, are now commonplace. That takes care of the hardware and data conduit aspect. On the software side of things, the arrival of peer-to-peer and torrent applications have unquestionably made it easier for people to download bootlegged video, music and software among other things. This is the golden age of digital piracy.

The fact that the internet traverses both borders and cultures, laws that are in effect in one country becomes ineffective and even useless in another. What’s more obvious is a difference in perception as to what is considered piracy and what is not. Then again, for some unscrupulous individuals, they just want to get something for nothing. Now, since all the necessary tools are readily available to anyone who’s aspiring to be a cyber buccaneer, what can be done to curve illegal downloads? The strong movement for a mass education campaign in teaching the public about piracy and its damaging effect to the economy has been ongoing. It aims to make people understand that just because intellectual properties like software and digital music are somewhat intangible, it doesn’t mean they’re free. Hopefully, we’ll see the fruits of this campaign in the very near future. To the rescue are blogs and websites that advocate legal downloads. They aren’t as many as torrent sites but the few ones that exist are extremely helpful and interesting.

What these blogs and sites bring to the table are very compelling articles and anecdotes that talk about anything and everything that has to do with legal downloads. Reading them will surely sway some people to step up and do downloads the right way, effectively steering some crowd away from doing downloads of the frowned upon kind. Although there is no way around to having to pay for commercial songs, software or videos, these blogs do provide plenty of tips and how-to’s on really free and legal downloads. There are guides that point you to the correct direction, sparing you from having to sweat searching for sites where you can make those socially approved downloads.

Technology and all of its components are constantly advancing in ways that will bring it to near perfection in the future. Without doubt, software security is somewhere on top of that ever changing and improving landscape. It is hard to predict when it will happen but digital piracy will be a thing of the past. In the meantime, sites that advocate legal downloads will be a haven for people of uncompromising principles.