The Dangers of Illegal Downloads
We are not going to preach. Of course, it is attractive to download movies, software, books, music, and games illegally. Very honestly, some of Scamadviser's staff have done so in the past. Why pay for something when you can get it for free? However, the next time you think of downloading something illegally, consider these reasons against it. We have also provided some safe alternatives at the bottom of the page.
1. It is a Crime as You Are Hurting People
When a book, movie, song, game of software product is created, marketed and distributed, everyone involved in the process has the right to receive money from the sale of that product. Therefore, that product is protected by copyright law upon the fact that it cannot be copied, reproduced or resold without their permission.
We often hear the argument that downloading illegally is not stealing. You may be right that you do not take the product away from another person, but you are stealing money from all the people who are involved in making that product possible at all.
If you do not pay for a game, book, song, movie or other media product that has a copyright, then downloading that file is, ultimately, a crime. Likewise, distributing a copyrighted media file, whether via electronic or non-electronic methods, without the express permission of the copyright holder is simply illegal.
2. You May Get Punished, Severely
It depends strongly on the country if illegal downloading and/or torrent sites are prosecuted or not. Countries also have different fines depending on if you have downloaded it for private use or if you are also distributing illegal media (which in most cases you do). In the United States, you may end up with up to 5 years imprisonment and fines up to $150,000 per file (yes, per file). Apart from this fine, the copyright holder can file suit, resulting in additional legal fees and damages. In Japan, you can go to jail for up to 2 years and face fines up to $25,000. VPN Mentor has made a nice overview in which countries torrent sites are considered illegal:
More information about the legal situation per country you can find on Wikipedia.
You Put Your Own Computer at Risk
Illegal downloading places your computer at risk in two different ways. First of all, the files you are downloading often include viruses, ransomware, and other malicious files that can compromise your device and steal your data. While anti-virus software may catch some of the bad stuff, more advanced (and dangerous) viruses may slip through.
Secondly, as most illegal downloading happens via Peer-to-Peer networks when you are downloading, you are at the same time uploading files. This may slow down your computer, use up excessive data and also make you a distributor of illegal media - a much more severe offence.
Download Legally
While you may not be able to get the latest games, books and software for free, there are many alternatives which can still be very useful for work or play:
- Books: Google Free eBooks, ManyBooks, Open Library, Project Gutenberg
- Music: Amazon Free Music, Jamendo, Revernation, SoundClick, Soundcloud, Spotify
- Video: Youtube, Popcornflix, PlutoTV
- Games: Steam, Origin, Microsoft, Itch.io
- Software:
- Office: LibreOffice, Google Docs, Open Office, Polaris
- Others: cNet, Tucows
If you know of any other good (and legal) sources, please let us know!
Sources:
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