Illegal file sharing?

[Lusty]

What actually is illegal file sharing?

Is it viewing/listening to copy righted films or music(downloading) or posting the same(uploading)or both?

Thanx

[Faustian]

Both

[Hugh_Hoy]

You can legally do both providing you are the copyright holder or have permission to do either by the copyright holder. You got some "stuff" you want to share?

 

HH

[kamui]

Viewing/listening to - illegally obtained - copyrighted movies/songs is not `file sharing´. I am even not sure if it is illegal to own illegal copies as a private person.

Anyway you won't be prosecuted if have a collection of Panthip CD's at home.

 

BUT it seems that an international coalition of mostly western governments is working behind closed doors on a plan that people can be searched at borders for illegally obtained copyrighted materials (music on iPods e.g.). See "ACTA" at Wikipedia.

:thumbdown:

 

In regard to filesharing:

Most dangerous is using P2P file sharing software like "emule" or so, because most people open their music/film archives for upload while downloading other illegal material. Specialized companies are logging these materials offered and downloaded by file sharers, as well as the users IP's (personal ID of a webuser, assigned by the webprovider). Huge numbers of up- and downloads can lead to very high fees. In the US the lowest numbers for just a few shared songs are around USD 2.000-3.000 if I remember right.

 

As far as I know you can get caught while using most file sharing tools, even if you download so called "torrents". When download a torrent you don't need to offer other material, which means you can only be proscuted for one downloaded file.

 

And there are other ways to download copyrighted material like becoming a member of closed/invitation only web forums which offer protected torrents, or you could buy an "usenet" account...

 

Personally I don't use emule anymore, but I download torrents regularly. I just upgraded my PC and two Macs with Photoshop 4, Lightroom 2 and Adobe Acrobat Pro.

:smirk:

[youngfarang]

I use limewire which is techinically file sharing which is technically illegal. But I don't see why it should as long as you don't use the copyrighted material and "sell" it persay.

[Old Hippie]

Frankly, I don't see what the big deal is..."sharing" media has been going on for years with books, cds, LPs, cassettes etc...once I buy something, it is mine, I can do what I want with it, including sharing it.