Torrents

**scared2mosh** · 10-07-2008, 08:54 PM

Are these legal?

From what I have read (off of wiki, FBI website, & other sources) it is legal as long as it's free. they consider filesharing the same as borrowing a cd from the library or a friend, and putting it on your ipod. movies however are illegal to torrent no matter what.

Am I right or am I way off?

tht00 · 10-07-2008, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scared2mosh

Are these legal?

From what I have read (off of wiki, FBI website, & other sources) it is legal as long as it's free. they consider filesharing the same as borrowing a cd from the library or a friend, and putting it on your ipod. movies however are illegal to torrent no matter what.

Am I right or am I way off?

Way off.

Torrents can be legal only if the material being transmitted is licensed in such a way to permit it -- such as a Creative Commons license (media) or GPL (software).

Even borrowing a CD from a friend and 'putting it on your iPod' is illegal, as it's a form of copying and distribution. That's what the whole idea is behind copyright -- individuals and/or companies hold the rights to copy and distribute (sell) the media, not anyone else. It doesn't matter if it's done "for free", you don't hold the copyright, so you don't have the right to copy it.

It doesn't matter if it's a book, music, movie, software, etc, etc. -- the rules are effectively the same. If you want to own(possess) it, you've got to buy it. The exception includes items explicitly licensed by the owner(s) to be distributed (e.g. Linux).

Interesting read:
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

Those are the rules. Many people don't agree with or follow the rules, but that's where the law stands.

**Rainer.** · 10-07-2008, 11:40 PM

Basically, if it's copyrighted and you're not getting it from the original author of the material nor have permission to, then it's illegal.

It's like burning a CD and giving it to a friend, except with no physical medium.

normajean777 · 10-08-2008, 12:37 AM

Legal in Canada. . .

**scared2mosh** · 10-08-2008, 09:29 AM

Hmmm well I've borrowed cd's from friends before should I delete it all?

also why havent sites lik Isohunt, Demonoid, and waffles been removed?

tht00 · 10-08-2008, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scared2mosh

Hmmm well I've borrowed cd's from friends before should I delete it all?

That's up to you.

Personally, I don't think that sharing music is all bad. I've bought plenty of CDs because of being exposed to music in this manner. I'm simply telling you what the rules are; only you can choose to follow them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scared2mosh

also why havent sites lik Isohunt, Demonoid, and waffles been removed?

Torrents, in and of themselves are not illegal, just as handing a disc to a friend isn't inherently illegal. There are plenty of legal uses of torrents... they just don't get used for that very often.

Sites like that often have a clause like this:
"Disclaimer: None of the files shown here are actually hosted or transmitted by this server. The links are provided solely by this site's users. The site moderation is also a service provided by the site's users. The administrator of this site (Demonoid.com) cannot be held responsible for what its users post, or any other actions of its users. You may not use this site to distribute or download any material when you do not have the legal rights to do so. It is your own responsibility to adhere to these terms."

**scared2mosh** · 10-08-2008, 11:47 AM

ahhh well I have bought a large deal of the music I borrowed... I think I'll just buy what I like and delete the rest.

problem is at least 1/4 of my music is from friends

**bravesfan007** · 10-08-2008, 05:18 PM

I agree with everything that has been said before, except for I have one interesting thought. What about television shows that air on broadcast networks and thus are "free" at the time they air. I mean, I know the DVD rips would be illegal, but is it illegal to have the shows with commercials? I mean, technically what is the difference between that and having Tivo, DV-R, or a VHS recorder?

taykey · 10-08-2008, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by normajean777

Legal in Canada. . .

really? copying and burning then distributing songs is legal?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bravesfan007

I agree with everything that has been said before, except for I have one interesting thought. What about television shows that air on broadcast networks and thus are "free" at the time they air. I mean, I know the DVD rips would be illegal, but is it illegal to have the shows with commercials? I mean, technically what is the difference between that and having Tivo, DV-R, or a VHS recorder?

wow, good point.

normajean777 · 10-08-2008, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taykey

really? copying and burning then distributing songs is legal?

Not so much as legal, or moral, just there absolutely no laws or penalties regarding any of them.

taykey · 10-08-2008, 05:40 PM

that doesn't make it right then

**bravesfan007** · 10-08-2008, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taykey

wow, good point.

Yeah, it's one that someone in college brought up two years ago and honestly, I've never thought about it like that until then. I'm not swaying one way or another, just that it's a point to consider.

Cam42 · 10-08-2008, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taykey

that doesn't make it right then

does is make it wrong??

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-08-2008, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by normajean777

Not so much as legal, or moral, just there absolutely no laws or penalties regarding any of them.

As I understand it, Canada dealt with the burned cd problem by paying the RIAA royalties on the actual CD-rs, or so I was told.

I love torrents for getting NIN's freely distributed stuff and sometimes it can be the fastest way to get linux distros. Basically, if the owners of the file (authors, rights holders) freely allow it to be torrented, it is kosher.

Cam42 · 10-08-2008, 05:55 PM

alright, so If I put some of my music on torrents, it would be legal??