How does downloading music infringe on intellectual property law?

pleas give examples

it does not..
it infringes on theft laws.

I can argue against it, but they say you are downloading music which someone else created, without purchasing it.

I say, you are not downloading music, you are downloading data, that someone converted the music to, and you are converting the data back to music. (in a nutshell)

Downloading music in and of itself is not wrong. If you paid to download the music, then you're fine. But if you're downloading songs and the artists/record companies are not getting any royalties from it, what you're doing is illegal. It's really no different than if you walked into a store and stole the CD. You're taking music without paying for it. Hence it becomes piracy, and infringes on intellectual property law.

Simple. Copyright laws grant sole rights over a creative work (including a musical work) to the owner/creator of the work. Included in those rights is the authority to determine who is allowed to make copies of the work, and who can distribute those copies.

So, if you own the copyright to a song, you have full legal control over who makes copies and who distributes those copies. You can sign a license allowing someone to do so, or not, as a matter of contract.

Now, if someone gets a copy of your song, and starts making other copies, and distributing those copies, that violates your right to control who makes copies and who distributes them.

As pointed out above, if you pay for the music, or if the copyright owner allows the music to be downloaded, then that's fine. The issue is when the downloading occurs without the permssion (consent) of the copyright holder.

It's no different than if you own physical property, and someone takes or uses that property without your permission. That's stealing. Or if you own a parcel of land, and people keep walking on your land and using stuff there. That's tresspassing. Why? Because you have sole legal rights to control what happens to your property.

Intellectual property laws work the same.

Someone worked to make that music/video/software.
The law says they have a right to determine how it is used.
They are trying to sell the music/video/software.
If you download it without getting the creators permission, you are breaking the law.
If you walked into WalMart and took a CD without paying, they would call the police.
How is downloading different?
Do YOU work for free?
Why should anyone else?

Play without pay. Intellectual property, such as an individual song, is a product, in the same way that a compact disc is a product. Although you can physically hold a compact disc in you hand and digital music is just ones and zeros in your computer, a digital track on the computer and one on an actual compact disc theoretically have the same value. When music is downloaded through file sharing, or other free methods acquirement, no artist, studio, composer, etc. is rewarded or compensated for their product. When someone buys music, they are paying for the idea, or ideas, that together create songs and albums. When a song or album is created, the ideas are copyrighted under intellectual property protection, similar to books, artwork, computer programs, etc鈥?The list goes on. When people download, through illegal channels, no person in ownership of the idea is 鈥渞ewarded,鈥?and therefore their property protection has been infringed upon.

OK - do you think the people who wrote, produced, and recorded the music deserve to be paid for their time and effort? If not, do you think you should be paid for your time and effort at work? If you think you should be paid, and they shouldn't, define the difference.

When you download music from an unauthorized source, you are depriving the musician, song-writer, producer the payment for that copy of the music. Is that OK? Would it also be OK if someone stopped by your place of work on payday and took $5 from your wages for themselves? If you think one is OK, and the other isn't, explain the difference.

Theft is theft. Downloading music without permission is just one form of stealing - taking money out of your pocket or your wages is another.