I believe that Napster was the first free software program to allow people to download music for free, but then the got slapped by a huge law suite by the music industry. They are back up, but now they charge for their music. How are the other programs able to remain legal. Sure you can use can use it to download legal files only, but who uses it just to download legal music with no copyrights. 99% of the music on limewire is music that is protected by copyright, meaning that it is illegal to share or download. For every legal file on limewire, their are millions of illegal files on it, so why have it legal in the first place. Just carious as to why these programs are legal now, and they were not before.
2006-12-12 14:59:29 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Napster and those before it had a centralized server, meaning you could walk into a building and pull the plug. Limewire has no centralized server, its just out there. No plug to pull. It cannot be put back in the box. They use the same defense as the VCR industry that you cannot blame us if someone uses our software/device for illegal purposes.
2006-12-12 15:06:31 · answer #1 · answered by GlooBoy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They aren't legal, and like its been stated before me, Limewire and programs such as it do not host the actual files being shared but host the actual sharing. Now Limewire promotes the sharing of files and such just as Napster once did. The reason they haven't been persued on this matter though lies on how computer programs are changing. In the next windows [Windows Vista] there will be software enbeded in the computer that detains anyone from publishing copyrighted material, so with the computer world appling this to their software there will be no reason to have to persue these individuals that host file sharing for it will only be a matter of time before they control the publishing of material that you obtain.
2006-12-12 15:23:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok P2P is a networking system not a program, limewire and emule provide a means of setting up your computer on such a network to communicate with othercomputers on the same network, they are not hosting the files they are just hosting the connection being used. As for legel they are illegel, they promote their program as a way to share the files, thats what got Napster.
2006-12-12 15:10:12 · answer #3 · answered by Mark G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a few of the others have said, Frostwire, Limewire and Bearshare themselves are legal. What you use them for may not be. P2P legality is a bit of a grey area. In some countries it's legal to download, but ilegal to upload, and others it's totally different. Check out the law for your country.
2016-05-23 16:48:20 · answer #4 · answered by Greta 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Frankly, all the P2P programs are not legal. It just takes a long to find the actual source because unlike Napster that had a central head quarters, P2P programs rely heavily on individual people. Fining EVERYONE who uses it is extremely expensive and problematic so there are cases where people are fined, but the ones fined are the people that have the biggest libraries.
2006-12-12 15:04:38 · answer #5 · answered by evapilot2040 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the are legal, because they are software that offer other 'aspects' that can be used (ie listening to music through it, watching movies, etc) however YOU are doing something illegaly when you share or download copyright protected media (mp3, movie etc) unless that item is in the public domain (ie mp3 of Old McDonald Had a Farm).
Its like your Vcr. That machine is legal to own, and legal for you to play your movies on it, and record things off of tv. However, YOU are not allowed to share those movies or home records of tv shows, as that is illegal.
2006-12-12 15:57:36 · answer #6 · answered by arus.geo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can download Emule for free here http://bit.ly/1rmrxv2
To use eMule, just connect to a server or the Kad network, search for the file you want to download, and wait for the download to complete. It is surely the best free open source P2P client.
2014-07-19 20:32:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Loopholes.
2006-12-12 15:05:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't ruin a good thing
2006-12-12 15:03:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Answers
Peer to Peer Networks
Before you do let me offer alternatives that are safer. Note that the popular limewire client has spyware. To ignore scroll down!
Be sure to checkout first:
http://music.yahoo.com/
http://www.mtv.com/
http://www.allmusic.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
http://pandora.com/
http://entertainment.lycos.com/music/...
http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm...
http://www.streamload.com/
Winamp
http://www.winamp.com/player/free.php...
has free shoutcast TV and Audio Stations
http://www.shoutcast.com/
Check out this page on how to watch it in winamp
http://www.jimmyr.com/winamp_shoutcast.p...
Checkout this site to watch tv online
http://mediahopper.com/
For free music videos and audio shorts
If worried about legal stuff, for paid cheap music try:
http://www.Rhapsody.com
http://www.itunes.com/
http://www.napster.com/
http://www.mp3.com/
http://www.real.com/musicstore/...
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ty...
http://baseportal.com/baseportal/goodsou...
--- ---- --- --- END ALTERNATIVES
Checkout these official ipod tutorials if you own an ipod
http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/tutori...
http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/itu...
Before thinking about downloading be sure to read the legal implications of downloading in the wikipedia p2p article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/peer_to_pee...
Be sure to have a descent spyware and virus program or you can scan online free in multiple sources. Make sure you know about safety because many peer to peer networks have viruses. The link below has many resources including free antiviruses.
http://www.jimmyr.com/security.php...
Before you Start downloading You Should know how to configure your router. To do so check here
http://www.portforward.com/
Currently there are two main p2p sources
BitTorrent and File Sharing Programs. To use bit torrent you need to download a client like azureus or bitcomet
http://azureus.sourceforge.net/download....
http://www.bittorrent.com/
http://www.bitcomet.com/
http://www.utorrent.com/
Bit Torrent in Order of Popularity:
http://www.thepiratebay.org/
http://www.torrentspy.com/
http://www.mininova.org/
http://www.suprnova.org/
http://isohunt.com/
http://www.torrentbox.com/torrents-brows...
http://www.torrentreactor.net/torrents/...
http://www.torrentreactor.to/
Programs In Order Of Popularity
http://www.emule-project.org/
Emule is the most downloaded program in sourceforge history with 196,535,727 downloads. Be sure to search IP filter.
http://www.download.com/limewire/3000-21...
Limewire is popular among kids (spyware)
http://www.frostwire.com/
Frostwire is an alternative to limewire
http://cabos.sourceforge.jp/
Free filesharing
http://www.gnucleus.com/gnucleus/...
Another Gnutella client
http://aresgalaxy.sourceforge.net/...
Ares
http://phex.kouk.de/mambo/
Phex is an alternative to bearshare and uses the gnutella network regarded as "safer".
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles...
Shareaza
http://www.download.com/1200-2025-514076...
Imesh
http://dcplusplus.sourceforge.net/...
Direct Connect++
http://snail.pc.cz/strongdc/indexen.htm...
Strong Direct Connect
Morpheus (spyware)
http://morpheus.com/
Warez p2p (spyware)
http://www.warezclient.com/
Kazaa Not free anymore (spyware)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kazaa...
WinMX Doesnt Exist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/winmx...
Sourceforge top Filesharing projects
http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/trove...
Wikipedia p2p list
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/category:fi...
Sourceforge Free Software List (often p2p resources)
http://sourceforge.net/top/toplist.php?t...
Free Music From Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/audio...
Programs
Use peer gardian 2 for protection
http://phoenixlabs.org/
To BURN Music/Video CDs/DVDs Download this free
http://sourceforge.net/projects/bwgburn...
To Rip Streaming Audio Try this
http://sourceforge.net/projects/streamri...
To make sure all video/audio files work try these:
Media Player Classic Is Fast, free and Much better than Windows Media PLayer
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles...
Mplayer
http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.ht...
VCL
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
XP codec Pack
http://www.xpcodecpack.com/
Real Alternative
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/real...
Divx Free
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/divx...
Xvid
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/nic_...
QuickTime Alternative
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/quic...
G Spot will tell you what a video or audio file is encoded in
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/...
To open 7z, rar, ace, tar, gz or other formats
http://www.7-zip.org/
To create and mix your own audio try
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/...
To create and mix your own video files try
http://www.virtualdub.org/
For consol games try
http://www.romnation.net/srv/roms.html...
http://www.rom-world.com/dl.php?name=sup...
http://www.freeroms.com/
http://www.everyvideogame.com/ (nes only)
http://sgc.jandar.net/ (translate language)
For large Consol Games (cds) peer to peer is like the only option.
Check out sourceforges free top games
http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/trove...
Search for audio on google and altavista
http://www.altavista.com/audio/...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q...
Others that have been recommended
http://www.allofmp3.com
http://www.garageband.com
http://www.soundclick.com
http://www.mp3shits.com
http://www.manolito.com/
http://www.emp3finder.com/
http://www.purevolume.com/
http://www.mp3search.ru/
http://search.singingfish.com/sfw/home.j...
http://www.btjunkie.org/
http://www.emp3world.com
http://music.msn.com/
http://www.slsknet.org
http://www.isound.com/
http://music.download.com/
http://www.mp3dimension.com
http://www.yourmp3.net
http://www.mp3shits.com/
http://www.maxalbums.com/
http://www.emusic.com/rca
http://www.seekasong.com/
http://www.mp3-center.org
http://www.insound.com/mp3/mp3s.php...
http://cooltoad.com
http://somafm.com/
http://www.emusic.com
http://www.coolrip.com
http://www.mp3rocket.com/
http://www.musiconline.com (india)
http://www.papuyaar.com (india)
http://www.epitonic.com (india)
http://www.smashits.com/ (india)
http://www.mohankumars.com/ (india)
http://www.funmaza.com/ (india)
http://dishant.com/ (india)
http://www.m4mp3s.com (india)
http://www.megablast.us (india)
http://www.kazaa.com/
http://videopimp.org/
http://www.phazemp3.com/
http://firstlisten.ifihadadime.com/...
http://www.kohit.net/
Yahoo! Answers Searchs
Download Music http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...
Free Music http://www.google.com/search?btni=i%27m+...
Get Music http://www.google.com/search?btni=i%27m+...
Best Torrent http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...
Best p2p http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...
Best Peer to Peer http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...
Like Limewire http://www.google.com/search?btni=i%27m+...
ipod question http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...
download into ipod http://www.google.com/search?btni=i%27m+...
2006-12-13 11:27:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋