I don't quite understand the whole copyright laws for mp3s. I understand if music under copyright laws is distributed, then the person distirbuting it can get in trouble. But what if you get mp3s from a file-sharing site and don't distribute them, can you still get in trouble?
2007-10-05 12:51:43 · 4 answers · asked by spunky_monkey1505 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Just to make things clear, I'm not asking how to avoid getting caught. I'm just wondering if it was illegal or not.
2007-10-05 13:27:22 · update #1
Copyright laws are the same for ANY format of music. Unless the distributor is licensed by the copyright holder, BOTH parties are in violation of copyright law.
2007-10-05 14:13:10 · answer #1 · answered by STEVEN F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
The key to not getting caught is if you are using a program like limewire or bearshare, you can mess with your file sharing folders so that it is nearly impossible for anyone to detect if your are downloading illegally.
If you are downloading from a site straight off the web, then the key is to make sure that the name of the file that you are downloading isnt an exact name (Sounds stupid, i know), for example, i almost got caught downloading the movie The Big Lebowski, which was labelled as "Lebowski, The Big", so comcast was able to read and detect if it was illegally downloaded. If it was labelled like "The?.#Big>$Lebowski." those are the ones that are more hidden and harder to get caught downloading. Those are the ones to download.
Downloading off programs are a lot safer by the way.
2007-10-05 20:23:16 · answer #2 · answered by JP 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are breaking the law
Will you go to jail, be taken to court, end up paying huge fines?
The chances of that are about zero.
The music industry loves to do this to a few as a warning, that it could happen to you.
If all the people who stole music on the net were to be prosecuted, there would not be enough to even run an underfunded agency in our government.
Peace
Jim
.
2007-10-05 19:57:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes - you know you aren't paying for it and you should be. Receiving stolen property is as much a crime as stealing it in the first place, 'eh?
2007-10-05 19:54:53 · answer #4 · answered by pepper 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋