NeilT

AFAIK its illegal to upload but completely legal to download torrents?

is this correct? Anyone know for sure

Neil

davegtt

Thats the impression Im under, uploading is the problem but theres nowt they can do about downloading. Could be completely wrong off course.

cottonfoo

Err, no, it depends on what you're downloading. If you're getting the latest testing distribution of Debian or something that's fine, but I think I know what you mean so no, downloading is just as illegal, although the penalties for allowing others to download your ill-gained warez are higher.

davegtt

So is it illegal to download say something like Lost or Prison Break? Its not something you pay for like downloading the latest film from the cinema, end of the day theyre going to let me watch it for free anyway in a couple of months so why would it be illegal to download it now when its already been airred in the states?

cottonfoo

You do pay, either by viewing adverts or some kind of licence fee. It's still copyright material, they don't give out the DVDs for free because they've already been aired, do they?

Look for the copyright message at the end of the credits It's a violation of copyright to share the material. If you see a TV show for download via BitTorrent, the person that made it available went outside the boundaries of fair use, as do those who download it. Chances of getting caught downloading are slim, doesn't matter how people try to justify it to themselves though, it's illegal.

davegtt

when I download lost there is no credits at the end of the program though so I guess it must be OK

I do pay my licence fee anyway, so theyre still getting my money

cottonfoo

Whether you pay your licence fee or not is irrelevant, downloading the shows is against the law

ScoobyDoo555

as above, you're contravening copyright law. Simple.

HOwever, I personally don't know many people who don't do it

Dan

Iain Young

I don't

That only covers the bbc though. Programs like lost etc are basically paid for by advertising and syndication. Illegally downloading the programs eliminates all of this revenue, and so basically you are stealing.

Uploading / downloading from bit torrent itself is not illegal. It all depends on the content.

davegtt

Not when Im paying Murdoch £50 a month, I class that as a fee to watch whatever is on their channels

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

I always thought it was only illegal to distribute anything you download. Well, thats what I tell myself.
Also, I like to download things I will eventually watch, or will be able to watch through a service I pay for (SKY), but this way I don't have to sit trhough tonnes of adverts.

Iain Young

It's illegal to download any copyright material unless you have explicitly paid for it. End of story. If you use bit torrent (or emule etc), be careful, because they've already started prosecuting people who download this stuff, (not just uploaders).

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

<devils advocate>
So whats the difference between this and videoing Coronation St then lending it to a mate who missed it? Could you get nicked for this ? Technically.
</devils advocate>


Of course I would never so such a stupid thing as watch Coronation St. Anyone who does deserves the full force of the law.

Hanslow

Or have the consent of the originating producer / publisher (which I doubt people have in the cases mentioned.

WRT to the "videoing" of TV, I thought you were also only supposed to keep the recording for a certain length of time (around 3-4 weeks), although not 100% on that.

Iain Young

Technically that is illegal as well, (especially the lending to a mate bit).

It can't be tracked though (it relies on a copper knocking on your door and asking to see your vide collection). Digital downloads via bit torrent / emule etc can all be monitored and recorded by clever bits of software, with little or no human intervention. Big brother is watching

mike1210

BayTSP | Digital Tracking + Security + Protection

guys, just because your paranoid.....doesn't mean they are not out to get you

NeilT

ok, so the obvious question is why torrent sites havent been taken down, as the majority of their content is copyrighted material (films/tv/games etc)

cottonfoo

They do

Pumpkin

Bittorrent sites are usually merely trackers which point bittorrent software in the correct places to look, they don't contain the item in question.

jbryant

I don't understand the original question. As far as I knew it, if you're downloading a torrent file, you are also uploading it at the same time (or at least the parts you're received already). It's a tit-for-tat system that was put in place to stop the leeching that was commonplace with earlier systems (Napster, DirectConnect, KAzaa, etc). Leeching is when people download tonnes and upload nothing. You may not be the original seed of a copyrighted file, but you're still uploading.

Anyway, that's all beside the point. As I understand, if it's copyrighted material you're being naughty whether you are the seeder, downloading part of it, uploading sections of it while downloading, or offering the whole thing once you've finished your download.

Joolz

The Rig

iTrader: (13)

well,if they do come knocking, buy the edition you downloaded, then say you were downloading the backup OF YOUR copy, so effectively you werent downloading withoput paying for it !

cottonfoo

That doesn't make it legal either.

Iain Young

Also, by the time they come knocking, it'll be too late to legally buy the stuff.