Legal Question in Technology Law in Montana
I just have a quick question....is limewire, bittorrent, etc. illegal, is downloading from the sites illegal, or is uploading illegal.....if i download for personal use and do not share or sell would i be in the clear??? Is it illegal to download or is it legal????? Thank U
1 Answer from Attorneys
It is illegal to download illegal material. Remember Napster back in the old days? When Napster were sued for copyright infringement, the individual users were sued as well because they had downloaded the illegal (copyrighted, not licensed) music. The US Supreme Court ruled in the Napster case, and the Supremes said it is infringement to download, upload, transfer, or otherwise access copyrighted material without a license. The websites change, and the circumstances change, but the law on this is totally clear. It is illegal to download illegal material.