MP3's are highly compressed audio files that can be stored on any computer storage medium. Anyone with a general knowledge of computers and the Internet can make an MP3 file. All one needs is a CD ROM drive, a CD "ripper", and an MP3 compressor. CD rippers and MP3 compressors are available free on the Internet. First an audio CD is placed into the CD ROM drive and then, using the CD ripper, any amount of audio tracks can be converted into .wav form and put onto a computer's storage medium. A typical audio track in .wav format is 30 megabytes, meaning that a whole CD would take up 360 megabytes of space on average. This is a tremendous amount of disk space to be taken up. This is why the MP3 compressor is used next. The MP3 compressor can take a 30 megabyte .wav file and convert it into a 3 megabyte .mp3 file with only mi

In fact, anyone with an MP3 file on their computer for which they do not have the CD nor the artist's consent to own, is breaking the law. Websites that store pirated MP3s and make them available to the public are illegal and ordered to shut down, or face prosecution. But the rate at which these websites go up can hardly be compared to the amount of sites that are shut down. In fact, there is an estimated 150,000 MP3 files on the Internet right now and this amount is ever growing. This is causing the RIAA a great strain, because MP3 is so popular and easily accessible that no one specific person/website can be called to blame for the audio piracy. The RIAA isn't about to attack the end users of pirated audio software and the websites that hold large amounts of pirated MP3 files are frequently operated by one underage individual and not worth the time of the RIAA to bring a lawsuit.

Besides the RIAA's lawsuits, there have also been other attempts to "kill" MP3 software. There are new types of audio compression coming out that seek to overthrow the MP3 format and also make it much harder for audio files to be pirated. The RIAA is even funding research for audio compression that will replace MP3. GMO (Global Music Outlet) has come up with a form of compression derived from a form of compression called a2b. When they released it, however, they dubbed it "MP4" in an attempt to deliberately confuse users of MP3 that there was a new better compression method than MP3, when in reality it has nothing to do with the MPEG form of compression at all. The RIAA has even come up with a method of distribution called Secure Digital Music Initiative, or SDMI. This method will enable existing forms of audio compression such as Liquid Audio, a2b, or even MP3 to work with each other but will only let licensed users have access to an audio track and not allow copies to be made and transferred. The RIAA has also obtained help from Lycos.com (a popular search engine) to curb illegal MP3 transfer. After Lycos.com came out with an MP3 search engine, the RIAA contracted with them so that Lycos.com would automatically kill all MP3 fil

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Approximate Word count = 1442
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)