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View Full Version : Can The Government Fine U For Limewire?



Sugz14
01-20-2004, 03:05 PM
:ph34r: I just wanna know if I can get fined and stuff for downloading form limewire. I'm sure its illegal, but has the government formally accused limewire yet? I know kazaa's been caught, tho.
Plz reply soon! :D

locustfurnace
01-20-2004, 03:18 PM
Using these apps is not illegal. its what you use them for determines if the activities are illegal or not. if you download free software or public domain software or free music, then it is fine and perfectly legal.
If your downloading software and music that is copyrighted, yes, your actions are illegal. The software still remains unchanged.
The government does not enforce copyright licensing, thats the responsibilty of the copyright owners, who usually use a copyright house to protect their works, which the RIAA, BMG, ASCAP are all copyright license enforcement housings. they are not government entities.
These companys will find copyright violations, and then they will turn whoever is suspected of breaking these laws to the law enforcement agencies.

Salopette
01-20-2004, 03:32 PM
Originally posted by Sugz14@Jan 20 2004, 04:05 PM
:ph34r: I just wanna know if I can get fined and stuff for downloading form limewire. I'm sure its illegal, but has the government formally accused limewire yet? I know kazaa's been caught, tho.
Plz reply soon! :D
I think that after what locustfurnace said you are a bit disappointed.
Don't worry about RIAA or other copyrights, there are 3.500.000 and more users only on Kazaa that are doing what you would like to do (download protected copyrights songs).
So don't worry about getting sued, because most of the people that are sharing these files use alternative programs that block RIAA from browsing your files: such as Kazaa Lite (http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=kazaalite) or iMesh Light (http://www.imesh-light.com).

locustfurnace
01-20-2004, 03:47 PM
Originally posted by Salopette@Jan 20 2004, 04:32 PM
So don't worry about getting sued, because most of the people that are sharing these files use alternative programs that block RIAA from browsing your files: such as
Blocking the RIAA is not the final solution, as the laws change, your ISP can and may be forced to report your activities if they violate any laws, rem that your downloading of music can be easily monitored on the ISP side. all packets of data traveling from and to your computer can easily be viewed by your upstream provider.
Blocking via known IP's does not necessarily keep RIAA members from seeing what you have, if they decide their known IP's are blocked, they may decide to log into these services from their home acounts, which those IP's can change daily if they deicde to use dial up access. or even AOL, or any number of ISP's.
thats a false sense of security being passed around on the net. There is no guarantee blocking those couple of known IP's will keep the RIAA out.

Eventually, all music will be harder to copy for the average user from their CD, with the current pressure to impliment stronger forms of control over the distribution of music. Such as macrovisions similar copy protection schemes.

Eventually if everyone continues to download music without every buying any, there wont be any new music to download, as there wont be money to sign new acts or record music. Ofcourse, if the music were made freely available by choice, then there would be no loss from downloading, and all revenue could be had via concerts and licensing to movie studios and many other ventures, but this wont happen unless the Music industry commits to this route. and they wont. The Recording Industry makes alot of money on the medium (CD) while the artist/songwriter earns 2 cents ($0.02) per song/copyright per CD. So the Industry has more to lose than the actual performers if they no longer ship media.

As far as not woryring about being sued, i am sure those who already have been sued thought the same. It only has to happen once to you to change your mind.

If your worried about being sued, then stop doing those activities which might get you into trouble in the first place

Guest
01-21-2004, 12:30 PM
wow...u guyz use some pretty confusing words! lol thank u for ur help :D

TheBulbasaurfreak
01-24-2004, 05:47 AM
no probs

Mouse
01-30-2004, 08:11 PM
the courts been saying that RIAA cant go after IP addresses and said that using sharing software is legal.

TheBulbasaurfreak
01-31-2004, 02:30 PM
depends on what you are sharing.

Satan
02-03-2004, 02:54 PM
Indeed, coz else MSN messenger would be illegal software too.