file sharing

[sudu]

I am trying to find out if file sharing (using programmes like Limewire & bittorrent) is legal. from what i can find out using the programmes is not illegal but the music & video etc maybe copyrighted so downloading that is illegal. if this is right how can you find out if what you are downloading is legal or not? can you get caught and how likely is that?

[theren_911]

The programmes are perfectly leagal, technically. You break the law by downloading copyrighted material.

I don't know how likely it is to get caught but if you do you're pretty ********! - I read a story about a woman that got fined thousands ����'s for downloading the Tweenies or something like that!

But to be honest, I think they are more interested in catching the Mass file sharers supplying the movies etc.

[LeMarchand]

You're right when you say that the programs aren't illegal, but downloading copyrighted material is.

You can get caught as your IP address can be used to trace you, though given that there must be hundreds of thousands of people using the programs it may not be likely that it happens. Be warned, though - the prosecutions seem to be fairly random (mainly, but not limited to, the "big" people) and the amounts that are claimed as damages are staggeringly high.

How do you tell what is copyright? Basically, there will be little that you want that isn't! Examples of "legal" P2P uses would be for open-source software such as Linux (often used by people whose suppliers cap downloads as a reason why they actually need to d/l such high amounts each month), unsigned bands who have made their music freely available, possibly some out-of-copyright books and some software that was free in the first place. Virtually any movies, music, "normal" software, games, books and even TV shows will be copyrighted and hence illegal to d/l.