In this article I will talk about the problems associated with illegal downloading not only of music and movies, but also of all materials protected by copyright law. author. Just because everyone is doing it doesn't mean it's right to do it. My personal opinion on whether I consider myself a moral person. And finally, how does this compare to the millions that Bernie Madoff stole from his clients. Any time you illegally download copyrighted material, it is considered piracy since the said materials (music, movies, games, etc.) were not obtained through a purchase. Therefore, since the material is protected by U.S. copyright law, those arrested and charged can be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Those convicted of a first offense could be fined up to $250,000 and up to five years in prison. Besides the obvious ethical and legal issues, there are other issues that many people face due to hacking. In addition to any illegally downloaded material, you also run the risk of exposing your computer to dangerous viruses, malware, spyware or other unwanted software. All of these can cause your computer to run slowly and possibly crash, which can lead to costly computer repairs. loss of irreplaceable files and, in the worst cases, identity theft. Some free sites like piratebay may seem free, but there is a hidden cost for downloading music, movies, and other files that you may not be aware of. Many of them will turn your computer into a server, or make your computer a branch in a network so that other people can download the same files more quickly to their own computers, making you a mule for illegally distributing copyrighted material by copyright. If you have downloaded or have already downloaded copyrighted material...... middle of paper ......informed decision on the matter. I also gave some of my personal opinions on the matter, as well as its similarities to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. So are my own morals and ethics and how it all relates to the auto industry. Works Cited Knorr, Caroline, “Illegal Downloads: When Sharing Becomes Stealing” (November 19, 2010) https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog /illegal-downloads-when-sharing-becomes-stealing (March 31, 2014) Smith, Aaron, “Five Things You Didn't Know About Bernie Madoff's Epic Scam” (December 11, 2013) http://money.cnn. com/2013/12/10/news/companies/bernard-madoff-ponzi/ (March 31, 2014) Raustiala, Kal and Sprigman, Chris, “To what extent does music and movie piracy really harm American economy? (January 12, 2012) http://freakonomics.com/2012/01/12/how-much-do-music-and-movie-piracy-really-hurt-the-us-economy/ (March 31, 2014)