This assignment is to help better prepare you for the very popular world of computer and Internet music.

The first thing I need to mention is the legal ramifications of downloading illegally from the Internet.

BECAUSE OF THE SURGE IN POPULARITY OF DOWNLOADING MUSIC FILES FROM THE
INTERNET, The AMMSMusicZone urges its students to educate themselves about copyright infringement, online piracy and the consequences. To help you make the right decisions, we have provided the following
answers to some frequently asked questions.


Q: How do I know whether I am downloading songs legally?

A: It is OK to download music from sites authorized by the owners of the copyrighted music. The important
distinction between legitimate music sites and music traded informally over P2P networks is that, chances
are, users who make songs available to you over P2P may not be authorized to do so. Swapping music
without authorization from the copyright owners is not only against the rules of most Internet Service providers — it is also illegal.

Q: What is a “P2P” network?

A: A P2P (peer-to-peer) network is created when several users install software that allows each user to act as
a server and to share information directly with other users (peers) as part of a decentralized network. P2P
networks are legal and have many legitimate uses. However, trading and distributing copyrighted material over a P2P without proper authorization is not legitimate or legal use.


Q: What can happen to me if I download songs illegally?

A: First-time offenders who commit copyright violations can face penalties of as much as five years in prison
and possible in fines. In some cases, consumers can be sued by the copyright holder in civil court, which can
cost up to thousands of dollars in legal fees.


Q: What is a “John Doe” lawsuit?

A: A “John Doe” lawsuit is when the defendant’s name is not known at the time of filing. Usually plaintiffs
simply sue “John Doe” and then they obtain a subpoena or court order requiring the Internet service
providers to reveal the identity of their subscribers. “John Doe” is simply used as a substitute name until
the identity of the alleged copyright infringer becomes available.


Q: Where can I go to legally download music?

A: There are many options that are currently available to consumers that allow for the legal downloading of
music. Popular music sites such as MusicMatch, iTunes, MusicNow and Napster are all legal because they have
obtained the authorization of the owners and artists who create the music they sell to customers.


Q: I have never downloaded or shared music or movies. Should I still worry about getting in trouble?

A: Music and movie downloading is an important issue you should discuss with everyone who has access to
your computer and/or your Internet account. Many account owners are being sued for the actions of their
children or other family and friends with access to their computer or Internet account.

*This information is intended to educate the AMMSMusicZone students about the issues associated with downloading music files and should not be used as legal advice.
Now that we have that out of the way I want to be sure that AMMSMusicZone students understand the different file extensions associated with downloading music from the internet.

Below is a list of a few of the more popular file extensions associated with music downlaods.  I would like you to research each, and on a piece of paper write a brief explanation of each.  This assignment will be turned in for a grade and discussed later during class.

.midi	.asf	.avi	.mov
.mp3	.mp4	.qt	.rm
.ram	.swf	.wav	.wma
.wmv