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Stop Copyright Violations Downloading and distributing files without permission of the copyright holder is a violation of federal and state laws, even if it is not for profit. The penalties include fines and imprisonment.
Is it ethical and legal for me to download MP3 files and movies from the Internet?
Before we look at whether it is legal to download MP3 files, think about the following examples.
  • Is it legal for you to go to the record store and buy a CD and then make copies of that CD and give it to all of your friends?
  • If someone you know bought a new DVD, is it legal for you to make a copy of that DVD and give it to all of your friends?
  • If someone you know took a video camera to a new Movie and recorded the entire movie, is it legal for you to digitize this and send it to all of your friends?
Most people would agree that all of the above examples are illegal, yet in the same breath they would tell you that using Kazaa to download MP3 files is perfectly legal. Let's look at how Kazaa works so that we can draw a closer correlation to the above examples.

How does most music get on Kazaa?
  • Someone goes to their local record store and buys the latest copy of a CD.
  • They take that CD home and use a piece of software on their computer to "RIP" the song and turn it into an MP3.
  • Because Kazaa is allowing people to download any MP3 file on their computer, this song is suddenly available to anyone on the Internet.

    Instead of just giving copies of this song to their friends, this person is now giving copies of this song to their friends, their enemies, and people they don't even know. It is difficult to get most people to do something illegal for their friends much less getting them to do something illegal for a complete stranger on the Internet.

    The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has a comprehensive list of the laws that govern copyrights available on their web site. These laws provide civil and criminal penalties for violations with fines up to $250,000 and up to 5 years in prison.

    Radford University typically receives 10-15 notifications per week from the Motion Picture Association, Warner Bros. and other copyright holders about violations at Radford University. Many of these groups do monitor and know when their files are being distributed illegally.

    • Thanks for your help in improving Radford's Internet connection speeds.
    Last Updated October 21, 2002 Ed Oakes