Legal Overview
P2P technology makes it possible to share all kinds of information.
File sharing is not illegal as long as you abide by all relevant copyright laws pertaining
to your region or country.
Sharing, downloading and reproducing copyrighted material without permission to do so is Illegal.
Some information is protected by copyright, which means that you generally need the copyright owner's
permission before you make it available to other P2P users. Popular music, movies, games, and software
are often protected by copyright.
How do I avoid copyright infringement?
Ensure that your P2P application is not set to share the files you have on your computer. If it is set to share files, ensure that you have explicit permission from the copyright holders for sharing all of the files accessible to your P2P application.
Ensure that the distributor of a file you are interested in downloading has permission from the copyright holder to distribute it.
For your own protection, you should assume that you do not have permission to download or distribute a file unless you have proof to the contrary. So, before you download a file, research if it is legal for you to do so. For example, check the Web sites of the musicians, record company, or movie studio involved to see if they allow distribution of their materials in this manner. When you purchase music, movies, games, etc., read the license carefully to learn if you have permission to convert the material to other formats for your own use, and whether or not you can share the material with others.
Keep up to date on the debate over intellectual property rights legislation, and ensure that your voice is heard by your local legislators if you have an opinion on current laws and proposed changes.
Fair use may apply in some situations. Be careful not to assume that your use is "fair." Fair use depends on balancing the four factors: the purpose, nature, amount and market effect of the work.
Read more about copyright laws at the following websites:
Read more about filesharing at the following websites:
Here are some interesting rulings in regards to the legality of file sharing programs:
Please note that the above references are provided for better understanding of file sharing technology, methodology and any relevant issues. Our website will attempt to keep you as up-to-date as possible but we strongly suggest keeping yourself updated with all the issues related to file downloading.
