If caught, downloaders can face fines for each song.
Though music downloading can be a fast way to get new music, it can land a computer user in legal trouble if done illegally. Downloading music illegally can have a negative impact on the company that made the music, and many artists depend on royalties from the downloaded music. Even if illegally downloaded music was downloaded by a child your home, you could be legally liable for the music downloads. Getting the facts about downloading illegally can help you protect yourself online.
Identification
Downloading music illegally is done using torrent programs and peer-to-peer (p2p) programs. The programs used to download music illegally can also be used as a legal means of distributing independent music, so the programs themselves are not by nature illegal. Ensuring that the copy of music a user downloads is legal is important to avoid lawsuits, jail time or fines. Purchasing music directly from the artist, at music stores or on reputable music sales sites can protect a user from accidental illegal downloads.
Misconceptions
Music downloaders have a common misconception that they are not legally liable if they are just downloading or streaming the music, not distributing it. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a user who downloads music he hasn't purchased is breaking the law, even if the user never distributes the music to anyone else.
Potential
Illegal music downloading can bring jail time and hefty fines. Under Federal law, downloaders can be fined up to $150,000 per music track. In 2009, a woman in Minnesota was fined $1.9 million dollars for downloading 24 tracks from the Internet. Also that year, four of the men who ran the downloading website "The Pirate Bay" were each sentenced to one year in jail for their role in making downloads available.
Effects
Habitual downloaders should be aware of the true facts of the impact of illegal downloading on the people who make music. Downloading music illegally affects the income of everyone involved in making the recording. When an album is put together, in addition to the artists and songwriters, sound engineers, graphic designers, office staff and maintenance people all depend on record sales for their jobs. When an album is downloaded, the musicians do not get their entitled royalties and the record company is left with less money to invest in the future music.
Considerations
Not all music artists see illegal music downloading as an offense worth prosecuting. Well-known artists and musicians who have come out against music industry efforts to prosecute downloaders include Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Williams, according to Arifa Akbar of the "The Independent."
Tags: Downloading music, music illegally, downloaded music, Downloading music illegally, jail time, legally liable, music downloading
