Quote:
Originally Posted by drmaxx
Why do so many people believe that it is o.k. to put the burden of making legal judgments on the downloader. What facts do I have to decide if a specific download does not pay royalties or is not endorsed by the copyright holder?
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People believe that because that's what the FUD campaign from the industry has been trying to make them believe. Yes, you are absolutely correct. If you actually read US copyright law, it is clear that the uploader is breaking the law. If you look at the cases which have been brought to court, they are always suing the uploader.
However, if the industry creates a fear campaign that cons people in to thinking that they're going to be punished if they download, then it helps cut down on filesharing without the burdens (like expense, and providing evidence) of using the legal system.
People download copyrighted material every day. If that were actually illegal, we'd all be guilty. The issue is whether the uploader was an authorized distributor. It has nothing to do with the downloader.