Is Downloading music illegal?

Question

is downloading music from a site such as limewire illegal, even if it is only a few songs, also if this is illegeal why is it ok to record music off the radio or make a copy of a cd if they are for personal use

also are you more likely to get caught if you are uploading or downloading

Answer 1

Yep, it's illegal if you don't pay it and the music in question is under copyright. The only exception is if the artist has expressly given permission for it to be distributed for free (which is how places like Amazon distribute some free music).

The reason it's okay to record music off the radio is because that's an analog copy and therefore the quality is degraded. If that copy is copied, the quality degrades with each iteration. You can back up your personal CDs in case the physical media is damaged or destroyed, but it's meant to be a backup for personal use by the person who purchased the music in the first place.

But downloading music without paying for it is a violation of international copyright law. Like it or not, the fine is $750 - $150,000 per song if you're bsuted. And people do get busted. The RIAA has filed lawsuits against almost 20,000 file sharers so far. In most cases they settle for around $10,000, but some offenders have had to pay more.

Even if you don't agree, it's illegal. If you get caught you're looking at losing thousands of dollars and having the lawsuit on your record, which could cause problems in the future (it counts against you when applying for credit, mortgage, or a job, plus it tells future employers or creditors that you have a lack of ethics and an inability to tell right from wrong). It's cheaper and smarter to pay for files through legitimate online stores, or to buy the CD used for a few bucks. The odds of you getting sued are slim, but they do exist and somebody has to be the unlucky one. On top of that your odds of downloading a file infected with a virus, bot or adware are pretty high. Breaking the law isn't the solution, changing the law is. Research proposed changes to copyright law, rite your congresscritter (but don't tell him/her you think the law should be changed so you can steal music - they don't really listen to arguments like that) and get involved in trying to change things.

Here's some info on copyright law and the RIAA lawsuits:

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/7152.cfm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3096340.stm
http://digitalmusic.weblogsinc.com/2006/08/07/the-riaa-vs-john-doe-a-laypersons-guide-to-filesharing-lawsui/
http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/012104.asp
http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/022806_2.asp
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3625091
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/mp3/
http://www.riaa.com/issues/copyright/laws.asp
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html

Answer 2

See while analysing legal & illegal there is something known as human justice it is this that really what is required. As you have rightly stated that you record music off the radio and listen to it. Yes that is legal because you have copied from air which is not 100% original in sounds and you cannot sell the same anywhere in the market. Similarly you are permitted to make copies of the original CD you have purchased Why ? Once again human justice , there is every possibility that the original could go corrupt and hence you are allowed to make a copy of the same so that you can use that when such and event takes place. But once again it is illegal for you to part / sell that CD to anybody else for a sum of money because you are depriving the firm from making its money whereas while copying for your own use does not involve any loss of money to the firm Once again human justice. So in short You can listen , copy , store , download and do anything with that music as long as you are not depriving the firm its profits and thats is all legal.

Answer 3

is this interior the U. S.? From the position she downloaded the songs? because in the adventure that they are soliciting for euros, that entire element sounds fishy. quite because maximum human beings receive track, someone can deliver letters randomly and get money. this is even more effective unlawful.

Answer 4

yes it is illegal, if it is used only for it will not be illegal sharing and coies with cd-rom, and giving to other is against audio copy right law

Answer 5

YES! it is! but there is no way of stopping people from doing it. There are many more out there apart from limewire and will always be.

Answer 6

It depends on whether it is copyrighted or not. For the most part, it is.

Answer 7

only if you don't pay for it.