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Originally Posted by HarryT
Are you saying that the law in whatever country it is that you live in allows you to download anything you find on any web site without having to concern yourself about whether or not it's in the public domain in your country? I find that quite remarkable...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnotherCat
...yes it does, except if it is for other than the person's private and domestic use (it specifically states that, hence my earlier post's use of "commercial") or, of course, it is not of criminal content e.g. child porn. To then distribute such material is not lawful.
I suspect that similar occurs in most countries in law, or in the practice of accepting reality if the law has not caught up with technology, instant worldwide communications, rapid transport around the world, etc. (the courts in most countries, including your own, would soon be completely bogged down with cases if that were not so...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
No, it does not. In most countries, downloading pirated material is not legal.
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Your own UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 says this about secondary infringement through importation:
Secondary infringement of copyright
22 Secondary infringement: importing infringing copy
The copyright in a work is infringed by a person who, without the licence of the copyright owner, imports into the United Kingdom, otherwise than for his private and domestic use, an article which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe is, an infringing copy of the work.
23 Secondary infringement: possessing or dealing with infringing copy
The copyright in a work is infringed by a person who, without the licence of the copyright owner--
(a) possesses in the course of a business,
(b) sells or lets for hire, or offers or exposes for sale or hire,
(c) in the course of a business exhibits in public or distributes, or
(d) distributes otherwise than in the course of a business to such an extent as to affect prejudicially the owner of the copyright,
an article which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe is, an infringing copy of the work.
If one relies on that Act then it makes it clear that importation in your own country for private and domestic use is permitted. That is the same situation that I outlined for my own (in my own country it makes it clear that this includes digital).
It may be that there is in the UK legislation that contradicts that for Copyright but I am afraid I have neither the need nor the incentive to do a search. But if there is such contradicting legislation it will be, as I have alluded to, unenforceable in any sensible way by way of search or proof.