Hi, I am a LimeWire user and recently heard that file sharing is considered piracy and is illegal. Is this true? I've also heard from multiple sources that the RIAA can sue you for up to $150,000 PER SONG! Please tell me if this is true. No lies.

Thanks,
Sam

Its only considered piracy and is illegal by some people. I think that it's complete bullsh*t. As for the number, I can't say wheather thats true or not, really the *******s can sue for whatever amount they want. The chances of you getting caught are very low. Its more just a threat from the RIAA/MPAA. But you can check out other posts about this in these forums.

deepblue

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"THEY WHO WOULD GIVE UP AN ESSENTIAL LIBERTY FOR TEMPORARY SECURITY, DESERVE NEITHER LIBERTY OR SECURITY."
--Benjamin Franklin

File sharing is not illegal. I can send you a file of mine (for instance by email), or receive one from you without any problems, as long as the file being sent is uncopyrighted.

Allowing others to download copyrighted material from you that you don't have permission to share *is* illegal. Nobody has been arrested for this yet, although the RIAA has sued a few hundred people.

Downloading copyrighted material from others that they do not have permission to share is not theft, but is copyright infringement. As far as I know, nobody has been sued for this yet.

Piracy is grand theft carried out in a location not bound by any national law - traditionally of sailing ships on the high seas, me matey. No area of the Internet other than possibly a few deep-sea cables and remote satellites lie outwith national boundaries. Short of someone stealing data by tapping into one of these, there is no such thing as piracy on the Internet.

I don´t know if this is true or not, at least I know this sum isn´t for "normal" sharers, only for "experts" which are uploading this song several thousands times...

But of course there is a risk to share copyrighted material, if you fear the risk buy the stuff!

Morgwen

What these guys are telling you is bull. They are simply indulging in reverse moralising in order to justify what they do. Most of what goes on on these file sharing networks is theft plain and simple. The trick is whether you care or not. Since I do not care - and do not waste time moralising over it either, it is not such a big problem for me.

However as has been said, the chances of being caught are really quite low. There are millions upon millions of people trading files, so the authorities are going to have a very hard time putting everyone in jail.

There is though still a very small chance that you could get caught. But I guess you have to weigh up the risks and decide whether morally and ethically the trade off is worthwile.

GJ

Yea, if your missing the point of what everyone is saying plain and simply the program itself is 100% Legal. Now if you were to download an Mp3 of say.... Jack Johnson, you would be then breaking the law. I myself have been contacted not by the RIAA but the MPAA on sharing a movie I had on my computer not so long ago so its not real unlikely you won't be caught. It just really depends on what your sharing. Plus I was on a different Network.


So yea if you want to download say some Bach or something it is legal for there is no copyright to my knowledge and if there is I believe it expires in the US in either 70 or 100 years....long time i know...

You are just one of the unlucky 2% who do get caught. (In fact 2% is probably a kind of high figure).

It depends where you like I guess. In America the have the equivalent of a corporate Gestapo in the form of the RIAA and MPAA - and they have taken some quite high profile action against people.

Where I live in the UK the government have pledged only to pursue large scale pirates, who might be a part of organized crime and who may funnel their money into terrorism. But they have said they will leave the ordinary downloader alone.

So for now at least, I doubt I have much to worry about.

GJ