downloading legal or illegal?

[masta247]

Lately here we have many major police actions against people using torrent, emule and other stuff like that to download files off internet. Do you download and is downloading music or movies legal or illegal in your country?

In Poland law does allow to download files for own use, but you can't share anything with others, can't host anything, in short you can't just upload anything that's why p2p is not allowed. People go to jail for stuff like that (sick) or pay a lot of cash in best cases. Most controversial action was taking over a site making movie subtitles to latest movies and putting them on their server. Few innocent people got arrested for that stuff.

I don't use any p2p platform, but I did it when I was a kid (it was allowed at that time, I remember sitting 2 hours on dial up connection to download a song). Now I've got much faster pc, bigger hard drive, much faster connection but I find no use of that because I don't do it any more. I don't upload anything I shouldn't because of respect I give to it's creator so I'm clean.

what are your thoughts on this matter? Isn't it unfair to treat people who download stuff like real life thiefs seriously harming others? Is downloading copyrighted files allowed in your country?

 

[Prize Gotti]

Owning pirated material is only really punishable under possesion of stolen goods act. Pirating and distributing is a different matter.

 

[Tha_Wood]

i always download stuff, but if its an artist i like/respect i will go and buy there album.

 

[masta247]

that's how I do too but sometimes I downloaded things I wouldn't even buy anyway just to try it out. For example I've downloaded wu-tang clan first album. I never liked them before, but after listening I went to buy that album. If I hadn't downloaded it I still wouldn't probably like Wu-tang.

 

[Jeremy]

Same way as the wood. I will download first then go buy. I am a CD and DVD collector.

 

[_carmi]

you should have done a poll.

edit: i buy if i like. but usually albums have 2-3 good tracks and a bunch of fillers so i only download.

 

[Prize Gotti]

I dont buy music no more;
a) I don't buy singles, most songs released in the charts aren't worth the money.
b) I don't buy albums, most albums are full of songs that I dont want to hear.

I listen to Hot108.com, if there is a track on there that I like I might download it, the same when I go to a friends house and listen to an album, I note the track I want a download it.

I do buy mixtapes and happy hardcore cds, but nothing else.

I dont download films, I dont have the patiences to wait for them to download, but I do watch them if they are streamed.

I do buy DVDs, I love to collect DVDs.

The main thing I use the Internet for is playing games and watching porn.

 

[Jokerman]

Is downloading copyrighted files allowed in your country?

In Canada, downloading is legal, but uploading is illegal.

In the US, both downloading and uploading copyrighted songs is illegal. However, the law has only gone after uploaders who are sharing over 1,000 songs. Though if you take your computer to be repaired and the tech sees illegally downloaded songs, it's his job to report it, and you can be charged a $200 fine.

The exception is songs from the 50s or before whose copyright has run out.

 

[Preach]

Not sure about the laws here. I'm not stressing it. I won't get caught.

I buy DVDs. Like Prize I love to collect, probably have 300 DVD movies by now. I buy lots of series too. I buy CDs from time to time but I download way more than I buy.

 

[masta247]

I know Sweden has a nice copyright policy. They can upload whatever they want

 

[SicC]

I dont dl shit. I dont buy much music either becuase the rap scene pretty much blows ass. But if there is something I like i buy it becuase thats just how i am.

pz

 

[Preach]

Yeah. Five-six years ago we didn't have any internet laws in Norway. It's never been a real issue, and only in the recent years has it become more of a thing. There are anti-piracy commercials before movies at the cinema, and a set of laws and regulations has been formed.

 

[masta247]

yeah it actually sucks because it doesn't stop anybody, it just annoys people who want to watch a movie.
I had a nice laugh reading legal threads at "thepiratebay.com"
it's a nice read if you haven't done it yet: http://thepiratebay.org/legal their responses rock.
Servers are in Sweden, so they can't be legally harassed for what they do.

 

[Preach]

^^
lmao aye. they had their server hq over-run by cops a while back though i think, and they set up a new server someplace else.

 

[Preach]

> Apple is prepared to take further actions to stop the sites illegal
> activities, and Apple expressly reserves its rights. I am available
> to discuss this matter at any time. If you are represented by counsel
> in this matter, please provide me with the identity of that counsel.

Instead of simply recommending that you sodomize yourself with a
retractable baton, let me recommend a specific model - the ASP 21". The
previous lawyers tried to use a cheaper brand, but it broke during the action.
--------------

LMAO this shit is funny

 

[masta247]

^^
lmao aye. they had their server hq over-run by cops a while back though i think, and they set up a new server someplace else.

but they don't do anything illegal

Lately there are many forums with Rapidshare links to movies, albums, games etc. that's nice because downloading stuff like that isn't actually illegal as you don't upload anything like it used to be with torrents or other p2p networks.