Is downloading mp3s and videos from p2p softwares like Ares, iMesh, LimeWire, etc., illegal, and can we get caught doing so?

satguru

Totally illegal since Napster lost their court case, and now more and more companies are tracking users and prosecuting. Stingy buggers... (just my twopence worth). Apr 21 06, 9:24 AM

helenasykes

Yeah, and they are really dodgy, my computer got viruses from files from both bearshare and kazaa lite. Having said that i'm not actually sure if it is illegal if you get the version that you pay for, but definately if you use the free files. Gives you quite a large fine as well! Apr 21 06, 12:03 PM

satguru

If you pay for it you are following the Napster decision, and no longer 'stealing' anything as it's all officially paid for. It's the free part they can't handle. Apr 21 06, 5:51 PM

zeonbismuth

Downloading music should not be ilegal, we "download" the radio waves all the time and only pay electricity, we photocopy books from the library and only pay for paper. We should only pay for our internet connection to download music. and I got more virus from Sony, while trying to see if there where extra features on the music cd, like a documentary or something. Instead it opend the door to a pretty nasty virus, it over-rights some lines in the kernel and when you attempt to remove it, well your computer CANNOT start. It messe's with the BIOS. So who are the real bad guys? Apr 21 06, 7:24 PM

Baloo55th

Er, the radio station's paying to play the music you're listening to, and you are only allowed to photocopy a small amount from books unless you have a copying licence which pays money to the authors of the books. (Some aren't covered by the licence and you have to negotiate with the publishers directly.) If you are a musician or author and trying to make money from your work - and believe me, writing IS work even if you enjoy it as I do - are you going to be happy for people to just copy it as many times as they want? Sorry, but If I find you with a copied copy of one of my books I know I won't be happy. You can play my tunes or sing my songs for free so long as you're not getting paid for doing it. Writers, musicians and composers have to eat, you know. J.K. Rowling might not notice a sale or two less, but I know I don't want to lose any. As to p2p downloading - If you'd seen some of the stuff I've had to remove from people's machines after they've been on kazaa and so on, you'd steer clear. A lot of people still don't have adequate protection - and with p2p you're connecting into their machines. Would you drink from a ditch? Or from a bottle of water you've found in the street that someone's already opened? That's p2p, I'm afraid. Apr 25 06, 8:24 AM

kaylofgorons

If I can buy something, I most certainly will. If you really like something enough to have a personal copy of it, shouldn't you encourage the creators to keep it up and show your appreciation for what they did? If you were a superstar, wouldn't you be upset if you lost millions because people were copying your stuff? I find it especially annoying when people copy things that don't sell extremely well. It kills the market because the creators/producers can't make money off stolen copies, so they either raise prices on the legal copies or quit. :P Apr 25 06, 1:00 PM