Is file downloading illegal or just sharing?

Question

That's something I've always wondered about.. don't plan on downloading anything copyrighted or anything like that.. I don't even have Limewire, etc. But really, isn't just the sharing part illegal? Or is the actual downloading illegal as well? For example, in Canada, I believe you can download them, but not upload (or share) them. I live in the US, by the way, not Canada.. Just wanted to mention that I believe it's like that there. Thanks :o)

Answer 1

The sharing is illegal but the downloading can be considered illegal as well since you are knowingly taking posession of copyrighted material you have not paid for.

Answer 2

So your argument is that downloading music should be legalized because you don't like a couple of people that are against it? Not everyone in the music industry are making a sh*t-ton of money. Most touring musicians are going into debt to release an album, even on a label, and it takes about 10,000 album sales (a number that most bands on small labels would be lucky to make over the course of a couple years) just to break even. Now the argument can be made that relatively little of them money that people pay for an album actually goes to the band, but the fact is this: without the labels, it would be MUCH harder for a band to release their music. By supporting a label, you support all the bands under that label. Another argument for free music is the fact that the band's music reaches a much larger audience. With very underground bands, it's nearly impossible to get their stuff in any way other than downloading it. This is very true, and is probably the greatest benefit of the internet age for musicians. At the same time, though, none of those new fans make any difference to them if they don't go o a show, and buy the band's T-shirts, etc. So, at the end of the day, the choice is up to you, and there are arguments for both sides, but I will say that I'd rather have my favorite band be full-time musicians, than have to work a side job when they could be touring, writing, practicing, and recording new music.

Answer 3

By Australian law, uploading, downloading or anything of such nature is illegal, but everyone still does it.

I believe in buying legitimate copies of things because you know where they have come from and the artist gets paid fro their work.

Programs like Limewire and Kazzar are breeding grounds for viruses because usually people who use those sorts of programs don't know much about computers and end up downloading all sorts of nasties.

File sharing software is a death sentence for your computer system.

Answer 4

It is only illegal to share proprietary copyrighted software. That includes uploading or downloading. Shareware or Freeware is OK.

Answer 5

doesn't matter where you live. You can share and download anything you want that isn't copyrighted w/out it being illegal. It is when you dl illegal stuff being shared or whatever that is illegal.

Answer 6

no matter what, taking anything without paying for it is stealing which is illegal. The way they catch you is through uploading files, but all of it is still illegal.

^the RIAA also wants to take away college kids funding for pirating as well.

Answer 7

as far as im concerned downloading files is not illegal just as long as when you copy a cd you dont sell it to anyone else i download alot it saves me buying cds becuase when you go too cd stores like sanity they jack up the price to make some sort of profit out of what they are selling it is easier to download you find more songs and you can make mp3 cds out of them so you have an unlimited amount of music

Answer 8

It's really the downloading then modifying and re-uploading that is causing all the illegality.

Answer 9

Technically, just the downloading is a violation of copyright -- it makes an unauthorized copy of the software on your machine.

Hope that helps.

Answer 10

By the RIAA's definition, even downloading copyrighted material that you haven't paid for is stealing. But the law is still reasonably fuzzy.