Quote:
Originally Posted by carld
Really? Then it's not illegal to download copyright movies or music if it's only for your own use?
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In my view, it's not "illegal" if you do it exactly right. But you have to be very very careful.
The copyright laws forbid selling and distributing copyrighted material. Therefore, you do not want to get involved, even marginally, with selling or distributing.
So if you download using a service that charges you, you will be entering into a commercial transaction which would make it "illegal" if the service is violating copyright. That is, the service would clearly be violating the copyright laws, and you
might be implicated as a buyer. Or maybe not. Basically, don't buy and download anything from anyone who you aren't sure has the right to sell it.
Likewise, if you download something for
free using a torrent, which involves your computer participating in distributing bits & pieces of the movie, you are asking for trouble. This is because you would also be involved in uploading. Uploading is distributing, and I believe that some courts have decided that this is enough to nail kids who get involved with torrenting, even if money isn't involved.
But if all you do is copy your buddy's cd or dvd for your own personal listening or viewing pleasure, I don't think it's illegal. Or if someone posts a music file on his homepage, I don't think it's illegal for you to download it. Your buddy might have a contractual problem with the copyright holder, and the homepage guy might, too, but I don't think you do.
And if you download a movie, and have a bunch of friends over to watch it, it's theoretically possible that some court would decide you are distributing the movie.
Of course, the fact that it is not illegal does not mean that it is ethical or moral. You'll have to work that one out on your own!
Note: all this has nothing to do with whether, for example, your ISP or college might forbid you to use their services for copying files, even if the copying does not technically violate the copyright laws.