Is Downloading Movies Illegal - How to Avoid Downloading Bootleg Movies

Downloading movies can be illegal, but there are ways to
avoid downloading bootleg movies and staying on the right
side of the law while still enjoying online movie downloads.

Most people believe that the only way to download movies is
to use file sharing software, or peer to peer (P2P)
download sites. That is not actually true, although in
saying that it should be stressed that these sites are not
illegal themselves: it is the way that they are used that
is illegal. Let's check out the reasons why this is true.

How P2P File Sharing Works

Most P2P sites are membership sites that involve paying a
lifetime or annual membership fee. There are few doubts
that the lifetime membership is best, because once that is
paid that's it. I once joined a site with an annual fee,
and this year my software stopped working. They told me I
hadn't paid the fee - how am I supposed to remember? I had
changed my credit card and couldn't remember every annual
payment in order to warn them. I shouldn't have to - they
should remind me. Life memberships avoid that sort of
thing.

So, you are now a member. You fire up the software and you
find a few boxes requesting details such as 'Music' or
'Movies', and then 'Artist' or 'Title' or 'Genre'. You
fill in one of these - just one is fine - and click
'Search'. You then get a list of various versions of the
title or the movies or music involving the artist or actor
you entered for the search. Click on any one and it will
start to download.

How does that work?

What happens is that you get connected to the computer of
other members that are online, and can download the music,
movies or games that are on their hard disk. If they have
the title you are seeking, that will take part in the
download, and you could be downloading packets from a
number of different members online: the more online with
what you are wanting, the quicker the download.

Others can also access your hard disk to download any files
that they are looking for. Now, can see how some of this
can be illegal?

How P2P File Sharing Can Be Illegal

If somebody has a track or a movie stored on their hard
disk that is protected by copyright, it is illegal for you
to download it to your hard disk. Even if they have
purchased the track, you cannot legally copy it. Most good
P2P software will inform you that the track or movie is not
licensed for download, but it won't stop you downloading
it. That choice is yours. If you continue, you are
breaking the law. However, there are ways in which you can
download movies legally.

Legal Movie Downloads

If a new movie maker wants to get his or her name known,
they might offer their work for free online download. That
means it is not illegal because it is not protected by
copyright. Some actually do this. Also, if the movie is
so old that it is in the public domain, then you can also
download it legally. You can find a list of such movies
online with a simple search.

That is how to legally download movies through peer to peer
file sharing services. However, there is also another way.
There sites online that have stocks of movies that are
licensed for download: the license has been paid for and
they can sell these downloads. They are also membership
sites, but the downloads 100% legal.

So there are two ways of legally downloading movies, and
how you can avoid downloading bootleg movies with the
danger of prosecution. You could, of course, still accept
the risk and download copyrighted movies, since very few
are caught and prosecuted, but I wouldn't recommend that
you do that.

The same software that is used for illegal downloads is
also used for the legal downloads, except for the huge
video banks that offer the legal downloads as described
above. How you use that software is up to you, but I
recommend on all of my sites that you keep within the law -
that, after all, is the best way, even though it doesn't
offer you the best online movie downloads.

Downloading bootleg movies might be more fun, but it is
also more dangerous and is illegal. Stick to the legal way
- there are websites online that enable you to do that.