|
@calvin-c
Sure, Netherlands laws apply when downloading in the Netherlands, and Netherlands law allows me to download any movie, book or piece of music I can find on the internet, whether or not it was uploaded legally and regardless of what country I'm downloading from. Perhaps unbelievable, but it's really as simple as that.
It works like this: Dutch law allows us to make a 'backup' of books, movies and mp3s, but there is no requirement that you actually own a legal copy before you're allowed to make this backup. A download from the Internet is considered such a backup. In other words, I'm allowed to make backups of materials I don't own.
The Dutch government has announced that over time they will make downloading materials from illegal sources also illegal, but they won't do so until adequate legal alternatives are available. Current webshops are certainly not considered adequate alternatives. So it's up to the entertainment industry now to do something about their business models. As long as they don't, we can download what we want.
(This only applies to music, books and movies. For games and software other laws apply. You are not allowed to download those from illegal sources.)
|