By Peter Nisbet

There are few legal free music download sites online in comparison to the number of bootleg movie download sites online, yet more people seem to download free music than download free online movies legally or otherwise. Why is this?

Is it because more people listen to music than watch movies? Perhaps it’s because free music downloads are easier to find, legal or not. Or maybe most people believe that bootleg movie download sites are by definition illegal, even though the music they are downloading could be equally illegal due to copyright protection of the music tracks they are stealing.

It is likely a combination of all of these, and the relative costs may also be significant factor. Those downloading music free of charge might feel that their infringement is less than those that download free movies? In fact, any downloading of copyright protected files is illegal, and it makes no difference whether they originate from bootleg movie download sites or whether they are from websites purporting to offer legal free music downloads.

The only legal music downloads are those from paid sites: you pay your money and download the track or the album – or the movie – and any other form of downloading is generally illegal unless you know for certain that the music track or movie is in the public domain: i.e.it has been over 60 years since the death of the originator of the ‘work’, or that the originator has given his, her or their permission to copy the work free of charge.

Were it a very unusual occurrence, then this article would not have been written. In fact, it is not particularly unusual for a band or individual singer, or for the writer of a song or composer of a piece of music, to offer their work to the public domain. At one time it was common, and might even be so, for a new composer or artist to offer their work free online in order that they become better known.

Such legal free music downloads are not rare, but neither are they particularly commonplace. It is even less common for bootleg movie download sites to offer free movies that are protected by copyright. If you come across a song online or a movie that is being offered free of charge, then you can bet your bottom dollar that it is being offered illegally. So be careful!

It is possible for you to use bootleg movies sites inadvertently, or to take a few free music downloads without realizing it is illegal for you to do so. If you are caught doing so, should you be prosecuted and either be given a hefty fine or a prison sentence? Of course you shouldn’t! It is those selling these movie and music downloads that should be targeted, not the guys downloading them, and certainly not their moms who are being pursued through the courts as this is written.

Nor should the file sharing software that enables such downloads to take place from one hard disk to another! Such P2P software may be declared illegal because of the illegal actions of those that are using it. This is nonsense: are cars declared illegal because some people use them illegally. They did that with guns in the UK! Are computers illegal because some people use them for phishing?

Nope – and nether should P2P file sharing software be illegal because some people are using it for free music downloads, many of which are LEGAL free music downloads. Bootleg movie download site, on the other hand, might be under scrutiny, although such sites are doing a good job in keeping the prices of genuine movie DVDs down. It is the high price of the genuine article that is driving the traffic in the illegally downloaded software.

So, yes, it is possible to find legal free music downloads online, but at a price, and yes, bootleg movie download are on the rise again because the regular prices of these movie and music tracks are becoming too expensive. Who is right: the movie and music moguls or the girl or guy in the street that has to pay for these things? Who knows, but hold this space!

About the Author: More information on legal

Free Music Downloads

is available from Pete’s website that also offers legal

Free Music Downloads

and information on file formats and other aspects of file downloading.

Source:

isnare.com

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