As a simple answer yes. If people stop sharing then there will be no files to download.
But we can expand on this.
The thing that is most likely to get you in trouble is if you share hundreds or even thousands of files which are copyright protected. As in popular Music, Movies or Software. Sharing a few is very unlikely to get you in any trouble, but still there is a very slim chance that they decide to come after you. That chance is very very slim. There are millions of people that share files in large numbers.
Location also plays in here. If you are in the US (especially) or some European country the chances of you getting in trouble are bigger than in some other countries around the world.
There are thing that would be considered copyright that there is an extremely small chance would cause trouble. Examples are:
Rare recordings. Bootleg (preferably older), Live recordings that have either never been released or in very few numbers. Old classics (movies), foreign films (not the popular ones), old software (eg. games), that is mostly still are available for nostalgic purposes, and other things like that.
Things that you could never get in trouble for sharing are written work, Pictures, Music, videos, software and anything else you can think of that is not Copyright.
Porn should be no problem sharing, (especially pictures or clips). This off course does not include illegal porn, like child porn etc. which would get you in many times the trouble that all of the above would get you. Unfortunately there are a few rotten apples on the network that do share things like that.
Hope this answered your question. If not fully then start searching the forum for words like legal , illegal , copyright , sharing , trouble , sued and other words in those categories.
Cheers
Sleepless |