Kazaa - is it legal?

[beet1e]

Been reading about the record companies doing IP lookups, and instructing people to remove items from their server...

I've had K-Lite for a month or two. I've been able to rediscover old songs from funked's favourite music era, the 70s. I've also downloaded movies, and even documentaries like Bowling For Columbine.

Of course, record companies are pissed off about all this, but how do you see it legally? What's the difference between downloading an old song or set of songs from Kazaa, and borrowing a CD from a friend?

It's technically illegal to record the radio - I remember King avacadohead himself (Simon Bates) of Radio 1 getting irate with someone who was doing that during a live phone in, and pointing out the law. The listener was a cop of all things. So is it illegal to record off the TV, what with all the VCRs and DVD recorders we now have? Is it illegal to record a movie from the TV, and then lend it to a friend?

None of what I have downloaded is to be used for commercial gain, and in each case, it's not as if I'm going to go out and BUY the recording if I can't find it on Kazaa. But if I'm going to have HMV or 20th Century Fox sniffing at my IP address, I'll need to rethink my Kazaa usage.

[XtrmeJ]

as of this moment it is still "legal".Tho they are trying to ban filesharing of music freely until Kazaa is persued then it is still your right to use it until it is shut down. "how did you know"
so its legal, but illegal in a sense, hell i still use kazaa so carry on bro!

[Maniac]

You can download as much as you like without getting "caught" as long as you do not share your files....

[mjolnir]

Originally posted by beet1e
... and even documentaries like Bowling For Columbine.
 

Point of order, Bowling for Columbine was NOT a documentary, despite winning in that category.  Surely you remember the big stink that it caused.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

[Gunthr]

The digital technology that allows us to share digital info might be simply be the leading edge of a new paradigm. It might be an evolution. Or a revolution. Or just deserts for the record companies. Or it might be the impetus for a new business model.  

But its a copyright violation to violate a copyright! It could be considered theft.

No matter how convoluted the rationale, that is the bottom line...

I don't think you will go to hell for it, but you might get sued.

If one does it, one should just do it without trowling out all the happy horsesh*t. And if one is identified and sued, one should take thier lumps, and no crying about it.

[bikekil]

it is legal now
question is - is it moral?

I'm not using kaza.. but believe me i will start IF they say it's illegal...
what's going to eb next? will i have to be authorised to run an FTP server? will my e-mails have to be checked by someone (ok.. i know what every admin can do.. i'm an admin myself )

i hope you don't believe in the "trustworthy computer" project or whatever they called it now...

[vorticon]

So is it illegal to record off the TV, what with all the VCRs and DVD recorders we now have? Is it illegal to record a movie from the TV, and then lend it to a friend?

nope...as long as your not doing a direct copy of a movie...TV shows pay for themselves with commercials...


as for the original question...its not illegal yet but dont get to comfortable...

[Fishu]

Kazaa basically is perfectly legal, but it is the users who uses it "wrongly".
Remember it is the users who are the ones sharing the files, Kazaa is only the tool.

If that would make Kazaa 'illegal', then we could just as well ban HTTP, FTP, IRC/DCC and so on, since those are used more or less for illegal transfers.
Difference just is that Kazaa is easily targetable, since it's only a program and it's only use is sharing of files, mostly by these pirates.
IRC/DCC, FTP, HTTP.... those are generally used communication protocols, so it's kind of hard to point out anyone or anything :>

Think of Kazaa, if it would be given an official protocols status and there would be n^100 programs to use it.
Then we'd be talking of Kazaa just like we're talking of FTP....

[midnight Target]

Originally posted by mjolnir
Point of order, Bowling for Columbine was NOT a documentary, despite winning in that category.  Surely you remember the big stink that it caused.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

And neither was Disney's 'Living Desert' the winner for best documentary of 1954. It also included scenes that were cut-in, staged footage and overdubbing of actual sounds.... that bastage Walt!

[ra]

Originally posted by mjolnir
Point of order, Bowling for Columbine was NOT a documentary, despite winning in that category.  Surely you remember the big stink that it caused.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

Beetle's gettin good.

[OIO]

Its illegal if you have stuff in your shared folder.

Aka, you are OFFERING to share files.

If you download them and not sharing them there's no way they can touch you. Its no different from finding a CD or DVD on the street and picking it up.

Which is stupid really, those morons can only prosecute file-sharers in the USA.

In a year, if they are very successfull, no one in the US will be sharing files... but will be downloading them from servers in hong cong, russia, etc etc.

[Vulcan]

Plenty of other file sharing apps have been nailed by the courts. Many of those tried to argue the same thing - Judges didn't see it that way though.

The US Courts are essentially propping up the various entertainment industries attempts to keep their monopoly running. Either the entertainment guys will have to get competitive and respond to market demands (ie, buy music tracks - not entire cd's - online at reasonable prices and be able to chuck them on cd/mp3 players etc) or the courts will tie everyone down so badly that having a cd-burner makes you look like Hannibal Lecter.

[Preon1]

The way I understand it, it's illegal to transmit files using file sharing programs because it's essentially a broadcast of whatever you're sharing.  You don't have the right to broadcast this stuff.

As far as recording on tapes and VCRs, that was made legal in the US by Congress in the late 80's (I think).  The logic was that broadcasts were public domain and therefore a person could do whatever they wanted with it in their private residence.  Also, the drop in quality from recording justified ownership because you didn't get the "real thing".  However, in the days of digital file sharing, that quality drop isn't exactly there.

My $.02

[_Schadenfreude_]

Originally posted by midnight Target
And neither was Disney's 'Living Desert' the winner for best documentary of 1954. It also included scenes that were cut-in, staged footage and overdubbing of actual sounds.... that bastage Walt!

Sheesh sure know how to bring a man down - I remember the LD from when I was about 7 - it was all faked?????????

[Maniac]

This is an battle the record companys cant win... its that simple really...

They are screaming that they are loosing money due to piracy, but now they spending millions on hunting down the ones using file-sharing progs... Then what? the programs wont be going away, and even if they did manage to ban these types of programs we can go back to FTP´s and webpages etc etc...

They simple cant stop the piracy....

Welcome to the computer age...