Comments for Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Comment from Honduras on 2009-11-21

2009-11-21T22:47:44Z

Well quiet frankly I didnt know bit torrents where illegal i have downloaded a couple of older games that i didnt even know they had for pc but with all this warnings coming in the mail to people iam honestly getting kind of scared besides i have no money to pay a big fine for something so simple. I think that the law system in the USA is quiet messed up and upside down in some aspects but what can 1 voice change? Like one of the previous reader posted on top what will a leak of couple of thousand dollars 100,000 dollars do to their billion dollar industry comon people thats like a penny from a dollar.

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Sahhumah on 2009-11-16

2009-11-16T16:14:50Z

Hi
Thank you so much. I got the full benefit from this. My question is: I have read in some sites that the torrent is legal. I do need to download so many things I can not pay for. Can't the companies stop them? Why do not they do it?
peace

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Brandi on 2009-11-03

2009-11-04T01:11:16Z

I downloaded a game from what I thought was a real company but come to find out I had paid a person that had no connection to the game at all and then they threatened to charge me for copy right infringement so be careful.

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Im a failure on 2009-10-21

2009-10-21T16:08:29Z

Hey,
well,um yea,my cousin downloads alot of games with his brother and he started a GTA4 download and now i'm wondering if im going to get arrested or fined??? The only other thing i have downloaded was a adobe trial which was really big and boring...So yea that really my question

Failure

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Michael on 2009-10-18

2009-10-18T11:30:21Z

I just recieved a cease and desist regarding a piece of Adobe photoshop that I downloaded from a torrent site. The file I downloaded was a trial, and it was infected, so I got rid of it immediately. I actually complied before I was even warned. How can me the user, prove that I did not use it, and them the copyright holder prove that I used the software, or rather did not. They can obviously prove that I downloaded it, there is no denying that, but since it was a trial version anyways, it seems that it's not just what I downloaded, but where I downloaded it from. I did activate the trial that I recieved, but it had an infected executable anyways.

I was initally downloading the same software from the adobe website on a trial basis, but it was terribly slow, and I have downloaded trials from torrent sites before and this has never happened up until now.

Confused, and somewhat concerned.
Michael

First, I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. I wonder if the C&D is about your sharing the file, not just downloading it. After downloading it via a bittorrent program if you leave that program running you are now sharing that file with others.

18-Oct-2009

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from mike bull on 2009-10-15

2009-10-15T22:28:52Z

the sad thing is we get accused for opening a torrent just to see the contents.
they track the ip report it to your isp.
i have proven it many times.
and they constantly email me telling that i am downloading illegal pirated content.
when all im doing is reading the contents.
mainly to see the types of files. or download the readme only i get these stupid emails.

i have come across virus's in these torrents also.
and some times just looking for missing dll files also. when packaged properly we could download dll files that we are missing or needing or even drivers.

this whole internet policing is getting overboard. and im about to cancel my net if this bull continues and they will lose more taxes cause more and more of us refuse.

how do u prove you own something if the original is lost damaged or stolen?

i love to view contents of torrents cause many times its not what it says it is. download a torrent then it opens another torrent and we get tricked.
i know many have found that.

who owns it if the company is no longer?

im done ranting good luck all.

SUPPORT OUR FREEDOM & STOP THE OVER PRICING THEY ARE DOING TO US...
BUY FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE ITS CHEAPER....
TRUST ME OTHER COUNTRIES GET IT DIRECT FOR 1/4 the price sometimes 1/8th the price

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Jay on 2009-09-24

2009-09-24T22:19:27Z

Today I received the email of if you stop we wont prosucute if you dont we'll shut off your connection and prosucute to the full extent of the law. I'v chosen to stop, delete all the torrent files and shut utorrent down. After my sister got off the phone with the isp I learned that it wasn't the downloading they cared about as much as the uploading. I'v alway's known uploading was very illegal so I alway's stopped the seeding as soon as the download was finished. We all know that without people seeding the is nothing to download but seeing that it was illegal I alway's chose not to. Little did I know that even if the file was stopped didn't mean other people couldn't access it. This didn't make much sence to me and even felt my privicy was violated. The bottom line is getting or giving copyrighted material is against the law, so I ask this, Why is it so easy and tempting to get torrent's.Everybody loves to save some money sometime's and I, like all of you have given these gripping companies thousand's of dollar's that I figured well, a little torrent here, a little torrent there, who's the victim? Well I guess there is a victim, one I'm very simpathetic towards too, you know, those giant cooperation's with KaBillions of dollar's that Bi%*h and moan everytime there copy right's are infringed apon, by honest hard working people in a world and an econimy that's destined toward's Hell for tring to save a buck. Maybe they should go after some of these companies for more taxes instead of giving huge tax break's. Maybe, just Maybe then some of that money will trickle down to us torrent downloader's and we'll have enough to put food on the table and go to the movie's, or buy software, or purchase CD's. My point is, there's no question in my mind that it's illegal, just that they might be barking up the wrong tree. Keep in mind that a small percentage of the population even know's what a torrent is. As for me, you wont catch me downloading torrents anymore, not because I dont want to but because I was asked to stop, OR ELSE!!! God know's I don't want the Internet police showing up at my door. Everyone take care and thank's for listening. Jay

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from jon on 2009-08-28

2009-08-28T13:57:26Z

"Is it illegal to download torrent files?" - No
"Is it illegal to upload torrent files?" - Yes, in some circumstances

Your question is incorrect.

I disagree. Whether or not torrents are illegal - uploading or downloading - has nothing to do with it being a torrent. It's illegal to download or upload via any means including a torrent a pirated movie. It's totally legal to upload or download your own files via a torrent. Bittorrent isn't the issue. The files you're dealing with are.

28-Aug-2009

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Terry Cham on 2009-08-20

2009-08-21T05:49:20Z

Can a copyright owner create a version of his material with trojan horse or other malware to trick pirates? If they do, are they subject to the same "computer terrorisism" laws?

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Lee on 2009-08-07

2009-08-07T21:58:13Z

so there's really no point of torrenting? because most of the downloads are capable of movies, films, magazines, etc. What is there that "isn't" copyrighted because everything is?

Please (re)read the article you just commented on. It addresses exactly this.

08-Aug-2009

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from blueexpresso on 2009-05-25

2009-05-25T15:09:44Z

"Please correct me on this if i have made a mistake. All music, software , text files, videos etc are illegal downloads if they have a copy right on it.

Lets say thats true, i have downloaded games online and was found later on because i was sharing it. Is it possible to just download torrent files for yourself and not get caught and arrested for copyright infringement or theft?" this is an interesting comment, quite frankly http://www.isitlegalto.com should answer is it illegal to have some free legal advice and fun.

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from The Guy That Hates The Other Guy on 2009-05-21

2009-05-22T01:16:30Z

If I downloaded something hell bad and whenever i start my computer the "picture" pops up. How do i get it off.

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Dan on 2009-04-24

2009-04-24T23:11:41Z

Please correct me on this if i have made a mistake. All music, software , text files, videos etc are illegal downloads if they have a copy right on it.

I was looking online for copyright theft/infringement and found a case where the case looked over by the Supreme court was considered in the favour of the bootleg phonorecords seller:

" interference with copyright does not easily equate with theft, conversion, or fraud. The Copyright Act even employs a separate term of art to define one who misappropriates a copyright: ... 'an infringer of the copyright.' ...

The infringer invades a statutorily defined province guaranteed to the copyright holder alone. But he does not assume physical control over the copyright; nor does he wholly deprive its owner of its use. While one may colloquially link infringement with some general notion of wrongful appropriation, infringement plainly implicates a more complex set of property interests than does run-of-the-mill theft, conversion, or fraud.
—Dowling v. United States, 473 U.S. 207, pp. 217–218
"

So what does that mean for us?

I'm a techie, not a lawyer. I suggest you contact a legal expert, if you need that level of detail.
That being said, stealing things (downloading copyrighted material illegally, or allowing others download copyrighted material from you) is wrong, and HELPING people steal copyrighted material (by only hosting pointers to illegal copies) is wrong too. Legal? No idea. But still ethically wrong.

- Leo
25-Apr-2009

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from M on 2009-04-23

2009-04-23T18:56:37Z

Can you tell me who I should contact in Canada to report someone who excessively down loads movies? People like this cause a lot of job loss in the country!

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Braveman on 2009-02-20

2009-02-20T21:19:28Z

I usually download files from torrent sites but for two days now my torrent downloads have been blocked and no matter the download manager i use (bitcomet, utorrent, limewire,) they just can't innitiate a torrent download. what might have caused this? please if u have an answer can u email it to me at [personal email address removed.] Thanks in advance

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from anonymous1337geek on 2009-02-05

2009-02-06T03:03:10Z

ya i guess it is ileagel but many people do it anyways

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Julianne on 2009-01-30

2009-01-30T20:29:42Z

But what about designers? I have produced a digital file which I sell from my online shop, and google alerts took me to a free download site the other day offering my most expensive product (only US$15) for free download. This is my main seller, and some of the items in there are deliberately not available for free - there are other products I offer for free. I contacted them and told them to remove it which they did, but the next day I went back and they are offering the same product under a different name. What rights do I have? I created it, I own it, I am the only distributor of it. It's just plain rude. I want their site removed, they are prats.

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from bclitmrusx on 2008-11-24

2008-11-25T00:30:11Z

part of this makes scenes and part does not u tube and other places give u the html code for movies and pictures so that is essentially the same thing right

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Gail on 2008-09-18

2008-09-19T00:54:10Z

Copyright lasts for years and years and it seems no one person has a right to anything these days. But I'm still wondering how those guys get away with uploading stuff to U Tube? @@@!!! Do they have copyright - do they have a right at all?

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Chris on 2008-09-14

2008-09-14T10:35:03Z

It's technically still illegal to download old software that isn't been produced as the copyright is still valid. Unfortunate considering that a video game is counted as old when it's 6 months old..

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Gail on 2008-09-07

2008-09-08T02:08:49Z

It's all very well. I understand copyright and all but how do those guys on U tube get away with it? I'm sure that everyone there isn't asking for a copywright :(

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from cobal on 2008-07-30

2008-07-31T03:57:34Z

well have a question i do torrent but mainly old games like fallout, command and conquer, and other games made around and before 2000. so is it illegal if the games arent being produce.

and if you can answer this please email it to me at cobal@live.com

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Leo on 2008-07-19

2008-07-19T16:09:40Z

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Read the article. It's illegal to download pirated software
no matter what technique you use - torrent, direct download
or anything else. If you didn't pay for Halo, it's illegal
to download it.

Leo

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFIghG5CMEe9B/8oqERAudRAJoDQ/sValBdGO/iBZKo3R8h08hAsACbBL6t
Uh5jCHYmuYlhl+hkSZJuU78=
=Z2HP
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from benjamin on 2008-07-18

2008-07-18T19:27:08Z

is it illegal to download a game like halo as a torrent??

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from arnold on 2008-06-10

2008-06-10T15:57:59Z

well explained. I've read some news that a female was caught sharing music files over the internet and she was asked to pay some amount of money.

]]>

A comment on: Is it illegal to download torrent files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.