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+--- Thread: Is It Bad To Download Free Music? (/thread-136088.html)
Is It Bad To Download Free Music? - Estela - 04-08-2014 08:47 PM
Like Is It Illegal,To Download Music from Websites Like Mp3Skull,Myfreemp3.eu,Ect. My Brother Told Me That Downloading it It Self Isn't Illegal But The Person Distributing It Is More Likely to Get Caught For It Or Me Downloding It And Uplading/Sharing Is Illegal Is This True?If I Was Downloading It What Would Be The Consequences?How Could I Get Caught? I Just To Know Because I Wanted To Download This Song But I Don't Want To If I'll go to Jail For It
- Gursh - 04-08-2014 08:56 PM
your brother is correct.
downloading/torrenting music is not illegal but if you sell something that you downloader from the internet without copyright is illegal and there is a big chance of you going to jail if you do get caught.
- bcnu - 04-08-2014 09:06 PM
Your brother is wrong, at least under current US copyright laws.
Downloading a copy of something that was not authorized for distribution is obviously an illegal reproduction of the illegal upload and thus also a copyright infringement. Think of it as "receiving stolen goods"; does the fact that you didn't originally take it from the owner make your possession of stolen goods somehow legal? No, not at all. Whether it's economically feasible for copyright owners to sue every illegal downloader really isn't the point, just like the police cannot possibly stop every traffic speeder.
You don't generally "go to jail" for copyright infringement unless you do it for profit or do it to deprive the copyright owners of over $1,000 worth of income by your willful infringement. 18 USC 2319.