According to fair-use doctrine it is legal to download copywritten content. It is illegal, however, to upload the content as you are sharing it without license.

What is more interesting to me is that it is illegal to share even part of copywritten content. It makes sense that it is illegal to hand out full copies of a show or movie that you have no right to distribute. What doesn’t make sense is the illegality of sharing 5% or 1% of a file.

The line is not drawn ever because, really, how can you decide where the line should be drawn. Why would 10% be legal but 11% be a violation of copyright law.

It is, however, funny that by sharing a single byte I could be fined for violating copyright. How can you prove that was your byte? Further, what makes one show’s 0b11 different from another show’s 0b11?

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Comments

  1. I did not know that downloading was not illegal I though both downloading and uploading were illegal.

    — Forum Indonesia #

  1. I don’t think this is true because downloading is illegal no matter how you look at it. Perhaps you are talking about a different country?

    -Kai Lo

    — affordable seo services #

  1. Your information is not up to date. It is legal under most circumstances to make small quotes. It’s called “fair use”. You have to be sure to credit the source. google the term “fair use” to find out specifics.

    On another note: It’s January, 2010. Prepare for Valentines Day!!!

    Valentines Day Sucks (Without Chocolate)

    — Noo Yawka #

  1. I think most of them allow copying but not 100%. You can copy a line and add “…” and I think its legal. To me downloading is illegal until you are authorized to do so!.

    — Scooter #

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