Bootleg Movies: Are Free Online Movies Legal Or Not? - By: Pete Nisbet

Bootleg movies are either waxing or waning in popularity depending upon who you believe. So what is the truth - are free online movies legal and are they increasing or decreasing in popularity? The answer is . . . (not 'wax on - wax off' - that's another movie). . .

It depends who you believe and who you want to believe! If you are a movie producer or own a recording studio, bootleg movies are on the wane, but if you are one of those that sail close to the wind where copyright law is concerned, then it is on the wax - a very slippery situation indeed! Do you even understand the meaning of these terms? Not wax and wane, but 'bootleg movies' and 'online movie downloads?'

Wane means to reduce and wax to put you on a slippery slope, but a bootleg movie is a bootleg movie - no getting away from it! But more - it is downright illegal, and illegal movie downloads attract a hefty punishment. More than a traffic offence, because you are upsetting the big guys! Also, since the file sharing software used for free online movies can also be used to download music online, then the music guys are also getting involved.

You are on a sticky wicket, as the Brits say, which means your red balls can get stuck in the mud so you are in a hazardous and potentially disastrous situation - particularly if you are caught downloading bootleg movies onto your hard disk. Or anywhere - your soft and floppy or wherever! It's just not cricket guys!

All copyright-protected material is legally protected against unauthorized use in any way unless by agreement with the originator - in the case of movies, generally the studio (e.g. MGM) and in the case of music, the recording studio and also the songwriter and artist. It's funny how many performers are also great artists! I wonder what Leonardo played?

So the answer to the question 'are free online movies legal or not': if they are protected by copyright they cannot be downloaded without authorization. Bootleg movies are illegal by the definition of the term! You needn't even ask the question! So ask another question: In spite of that, do people still download bootleg movies and get free music online from file sharing software?

Yes they do! And it cannot be condoned. You should try to avoid downloading music and movies that are protected by copyright. However, there is one teensy-weensy problem. How do you know if a track of music or a movie is copyright-protected and not in the public domain or being offered free by the owner?

The answer is that it is not easy to find that out - although if it has recently been in the charts - music or movie - then it is likely to be still protected. Recent means about 60 years in the music and movie industry, because rather than use technology to prevent unauthorized downloading, they have found it more lucrative to fine those that break the law in this way. Maybe also they don't have a clue how to copy-protect a media file! That wouldn't be too surprising.

What's the way they suggest you avoid breaking the law? Yep, you got it! Download nothing unless you pay for it. In fact, most download sites that offer realistic download speeds charge a membership fee - sometimes 1 year, sometimes 2 years and often a lifetime membership (a bit like the penalties for doing it!): meaning you can use the software for the rest of your life to download bootleg movies and illegal-to-download music tracks from your cell (the same software does both).

So don't do it: it is illegal, in fact highly illegal. I like that term - 'Highly Illegal' as if there were levels of illegality - not quite illegal, just about illegal, pretty illegal, definitely illegal, highly illegal and 'chop your head off' illegal. Alice and Wonderland stuff!

So here's the scoop guys - if it's illegal to download bootleg movies don't do it. Are free online movies legal or not? Stop asking that - yes they are, but just a bit, and quite a lot for the Chinese that copy more than you do! So stop it and pay through the nose for your legal bootleg movies.

About the Author

More information on the legality of downloading bootleg movies which is pretty illegal, can be found on Pete's website Online Free Movies where you find free online movies that are quite over-average illegal.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Pete-Nisbet/37304

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