Legally Downloaded Entertainment
Many sites over the Internet offer supposedly free and legal download of movies, television shows, games, and music. Making an illegal download may result to negative consequences for the person who made the download whether or not he or she knows it. It is always wise to check the legality of the site and its offerings before its service is availed of.
The Covering Law for Legally Downloaded Entertainment
Copyright is a concept in the legal world that grants exclusive rights to a creator of any original work to use or “copy” it usually for a determined period of time. This is roughly equivalent to the creator’s lifetime plus 70 years.This translates to protection against other people who may wish to use the copyrighted product to gain profit for themselves or to grab credit for its creation. In the entertainment world, there is much concern about how products of creativity are being used all over the world without regard for the legal rights of their respective creators.
When a person or persons makes unauthorized use of the copyrighted material, he or she is said to be infringing on copyright. This just basically means that the approval of the copyright holder for use was not sought or has not been successfully obtained in spite of legal attempts to get it. Words such as piracy and theft have been freely used in relation to unauthorized use of copyrighted material. The Copyright Law is applicable to creative works in the entertainment world.
Downloading Movies and TV Shows Legally
To avoid any legal complications from downloading a movie or tv show, it is safe to choose sites that are in active partnership with movie studios and show producers to the effect that a site has all the given rights to offer it for downloading to the public. What are usually offered as free downloads consist of movie trailers and the so called “sneak-peeks”. Many independently-produced films are offered for free downloading over the Internet before they are sold to studios for regular public showing. This is primarily being done for exposure and promotion.
The illegal downloading of movies and TV shows is punishable under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. The best option is to avail of the services offered by video sites authorized to offer downloading and streaming of movie and TV show materials such as Netflix. Legal downloading and streaming can be done by paying a monthly subscription fee. Subscribers may also avail of DVDs sent to their homes for an additional cost.
Downloading Music Legally
There are many online musical stores such as iTunes offering the sale of digital songs for legal downloading at a fixed cost. Some new artists offer their songs for free downloading again as a form of promotion and exposure to the song. Issues in pricing tend to mar the relationship between artists or record companies with music download service providers.
Downloading Games Legally
Many game companies are offering their older titles for free downloading. Some are just samplers while others are actual full versions. Steam is one of the more popular digital games distributor which provides downloadable games in varying prices.
File Sharing
File sharing is basically allowing access to other people to one’s own digitally-stored information such as movies, images, and music. It has come under legal fire for supposed to be violating copyright laws. The legality of the services being offered by service providers such as BitTorrent is being questioned.
Peer-to-peer (P2P} file sharing allows for the sharing of media files among peers or people connected by computers. BitTorrent is a P2P network. P2P networks are not illegal by themselves. The only question being raised pertains to the copyrighted nature of materials being shared. Internet piracy is a serious issue but there is some doubt if downloading music or a movie for one’s own consumption and sharing to friends without the intention to profit from it constitutes piracy.
My Say
Anything found on the Internet is subject to copyright unless specifically offered by its creator for free use. Even then, there is still the need to confirm if such freedom was indeed granted by the owner. When in doubt, it is always best to check.
maritel (merlmd)
I totally agree, not only is it legal but safer too!
Teresa Martinez
That is right. We may have to exert a little more effort to be safe in our online practices.
Mel Cole (@melcoleofpausa)
I don’t like downloading free stuff over the internet. they come with malware and serious virus in them…
Teresa Martinez
I believe that is generally true.
Jason Cruz (@jsncruz)
Or there’s an even simpler way: grab an iTunes card from a store (I get mine at Data Blitz) and purchase them for dirt cheap 🙂 You get all the features plus the best quality!
Teresa Martinez
That’s right. In fact the store is marketing it as a perfect gift to anyone who “enjoys one-stop entertainment”.
Rizza Javier (@beingwell20)
We buy the original copies of old classic movies from the stores. As to the newly released ones…errr, the internet offers a lot of ways to get them. XD
Teresa Martinez
It sure does although there are safe options.
Ralph Marcuss
Madali lang malaman kung illegal ang download basta free illegal yan. Pag may bayad legal yan. May dalawang hard drive na akong punong puno ng movie kakadownload. Kaya kung may tanong kayo kung saan magandang mag downlaod ng mga movie at music email nyo lang ako jahahaha. jackalzralph@gmail.com
Teresa Martinez
Presuming that you have downloaded all your movies and music from legal sources, there is still the question of the legality in sharing it.
Ness
Hmmm… My husband download all movies that he wants from the internet… I’ll share this to him.
Teresa Martinez
Many people actually do.
special education philippines
This is very useful information especially at the height of plagiarism and copyright issues. Students who uses the APA method and cite e-books as their sources cannot use illegally downloaded books because the APA requires for you to disclose where you got your ebook and obviously you cannot site a file-sharing website.
Teresa Martinez
We need to learn to be more conscious of respecting the works of others as this is the only way to level the field among creators.
Franc Ramon
I just wait for the DVD/VCD version because that too has gone really affordable.
Teresa Martinez
That is quite right.
pinoychocophile
I do not need to download anymore – sometimes I just have to wait and friends would lend me their DVDs. Also I discovered that so many movies and TV shows are uploaded on you tube you just need to be skillful at finding them – some are strangely titled (using numbers and characters) so it is not easy to find them…
Teresa Martinez
The options available online are simply unbelievable.
Mommy Pehpot
as much as it is very cheap to download movies etc.. it is not just my thing.
Teresa Martinez
We are free to avail or not the options being offered today and there lies the advantage of it all.
sigrid @ poshpost
I honestly don’t download anything so I guess this is not my concern. I am not into music. Movies I can watch at the cinema.
Teresa Martinez
Many people don’t download anything online. It is actually a matter of choice
Ane
If there’s anything I have learned over the years of spending most of my time online is that, there is no such thing as “free”. If it is, it is either a sample or it’s availability has a certain time frame..
I used to download “free” music, tv shows and movies on P2P sites as well, until one time, I came across one with a virus that crashed my entire hdd. I lost pictures of my daughter from when she was a baby up to 3 and I had no other copies of it and I had to pay 3,500php just so my laptop would work again. If only I paid for that darn song for $2.99 (125php), I would’ve saved thrice that amount and I’d still have pictures of my daughter from when she was a baby. 🙁
But lesson learned! I have never downloaded anything “free” out of the internet since then. Thank God for iTunes, I only buy my music, apps, tv shows and movies from there and although I need to pay for most of it, I don’t mind because it’s clear and awesome and most of all, it’s mine. 🙂
Teresa Martinez
That is a bad experience but it certainly taught you something and thanks for sharing it.
Les
Oh my! I really don’t have any idea about these sites. Hubby and my eldest son are the ones who always download music, games and videos.
Teresa Martinez
I’m sure they’re aware of this.
Pinay Mama
I don’t know how to tell if a site is illegal or not. Thanks for sharing this!
Teresa Martinez
We should be wary about anything that is too good to be true.
rj's mama
Japan just recently passed a law re downloading online, I have yet to read the full stories though 🙂
Teresa Martinez
I’m curious to know how Japan as a country views online downloading.
Maria Teresa
My husband and brother love downloading movies from the Internet. I’m sure they’re aware of this, but just to be sure, I’ll let them know. Thanks for the helpful tips!
Teresa Martinez
Thanks for appreciating and for the visit.
Marriage and Beyond
It is really important for us to know the repercussions of our actions. This post is a good reminder for us all who have access to things that are supposedly free over the internet.
Teresa Martinez
We will not err in the online world if we apply the basic values which we observe in the real world such as respect and justice.
Mauie
I’m glad how iTunes made legally downloading music more affordable. I think it’s better that we get to buy only the singles that we like and not the whole album which is way more expensive.
Teresa Martinez
Service providers probably realize that there is more sense in making their services affordable.
Melandria Romero
i have never tried downloading movies coming from the net, it is because my connection is so slow
Teresa Martinez
Slow downloading is so time-consuming, it is so discouraging.
Badet Siazon (@badudets)
My husband used to download movies using BitTorrent. Now, we just watch some documentaries at YouTube.
Teresa Martinez
YouTube offerings are quite entertaining.