Is Shareware Legal?

Question

Ive tried LimeWire,BearShare,Shareaza and Ares.Ares is the best.But the point is,is it okay if your downloading music,videos and programs aslong as your using them for your own pleasure?I mean Im the only child and the only one using it.So I can import files to my friends for free and I won't get caught,right?Im now using Ares its the best so far to me.So help me out.And if you have other Shareware websites post them.Oh,yeah-and last but not least-is there anyway I can just type in a album title and just get THAT album's songs?I can't find one yet.Holla Back.

Answer 1

Your understanding of the law is very flawed.

Also, you mentioned "shareware" in your question but in the details - you completely changed the subject.

None of those things you mentioned are shareware. They have nothing to do with it at all.

Only if the copyright holder designates it as shareware does it become shareware. You, the person aquiring cannot stamp a label of shareware on it to suit yourself. A third party acting as an unauthorized publisher cannot stamp a label of shareware on it either. Only the copyright holder can do that.

To put it simply: shareware is legal, none of the things you listed are shareware, and the activities you mentioned are all or mostly illegal.

At least they are if the music you are describing is copyrighted. Commercial copyright holders tend to go after copyright infringers. The maximum civil and criminal penalties for copyright infringment in the US can be equal to the cost of several homes.

I am not a lawyer but maybe you should speak to one for advice before you need to speak to one for a defense.

You might wind up speaking to a lawyer for the music industry trade association. Instead of compounding your risks, I urge you to do a little reading on what copyrights and intellectual property laws are all about before you get carried away.

There is something called the home recording act in the US that has to do with the ability of consumers to record music or videos played by broadcasters over the air.

However, that is different than what you are talking about. The broadcasters themselves pay the royalties to the copyright holders in that case.

Answer 2

I think you don't really know what shareware is. It's not when you "share" your programs. Shareware has been around a long time. Companies would purposely make versions, betas, trial versions for people to try and share with their friends for marketing and development purposes.

As to sharing copyrighted programs technically sites like limewire aren't doing anything illeagle and they tell you when something does not have certification to be shared, you choose to do the illegal part and down load it for free.

Answer 3

Limeware, BearShare etc aren't ShareWare programs. They are 'file sharing' programs.

ShareWare programs are given to users for free by companies wishing to give users use of their program for free, sometimes for a trial period.

There is a big distinction between the two terms because file sharing programs *usually* involve illegally-shared files, while shareware is usually legally-shared by its nature

Answer 4

Shareware is legal. It is basically a software demo, like how with some Xbox games you can play demos of a couple other games, only you don't have to pay to get them. Sometimes, like the demo of Sibelius 3, the save feature is disabled. Shareware is perfectly legal to get and copy, it's just illegal to sell without a license to do so.

Answer 5

Shareware is a type of software that is supposed to be shared. However, software, music, videos, etc. shared over P2P networks is not usually shareware. Private software that is not liscensed to be shared is illegal to share across P2P networks. Right now, the MPAA, etc. are only prosecuting users of these networks that share the software, but that doesn't mean they won't try to go after everyone else.

Answer 6

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RE :Is Shareware Legal?
Ive tried LimeWire,BearShare,Shareaza and Ares.Ares is the best.But the point is,is it okay if your downloading music,videos and programs aslong as your using them for your own pleasure?I mean Im the only child and the only one using it.So I can import files to my friends for free and I won't get caught,right?Im now using Ares its the best so far to me.So help me out.And if you have other Shareware websites post them.Oh,yeah-and last but not least-is there anyway I can just type in a album title and just get THAT album's songs?I can't find one yet.Holla Back.
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