Aliyah
May 17, 2005Gambling as Communal Fundraising Vehicle
May 17, 2005Illegal Internet Downloading
RCA Calls Upon Community to Desist from Downloading Copyrighted Music and Other Materials from the Internet
(Newark, NJ)
May 17, 2005
—
Whereas the Internet has improved our lives by allowing people to
communicate with one another around the world with astounding ease,
access fast-breaking news reports, and conduct scholarly research from
the comforts of our homes; and yet,
Whereas the Internet has also enabled people to illegally download
intellectual property covered by copyright, particularly music, thereby
depriving record companies and artists of royalties due them by law;
and,
Whereas such downloading and deprivation of royalties constitutes theft
which is clearly prohibited both by secular law and Halacha for both
Jews and non-Jews;
Therefore, the Rabbinical Council of America hereby calls upon our
entire community, including Jews of all ages, to desist from illegally
downloading music, Jewish as well as secular, and other forms of
entertainment, in order to comply with the requirements of Halacha and
the law of the United States.
