Many people seeking to download online free games are unsure as to whether or not bootleg games are legal. In fact, games downloaded free online are perfectly legal – if they are not protected by copyright law. If your bootleg games are currently being sold in the shops, then you can be pretty sure that they are copyright-protected and that you cannot legally download without first paying for them.
On the other hand, if they are old games, and in the public domain, such as the original Space Invaders game and others of that era, then you will likely find that you are permitted to download them to your own computer free of charge. In fact, there are several online game services that offer such arcade video games free of charge – though some will charge you in an effort to make money by bundling them properly and offering you the platform from which you can play them.
It is possible to download online free games that are currently in the charts without paying any more than a one-time subscription fee to use the peer-to peer software that enables you to do so. You can use the same software to download bootleg movies, bootleg music and bootleg games, and all if it may very well be illegal if any of the games, movies or music are still protected by copyright.
The thing is, it is not the peer to peer software that is illegal to use, but the way that many use it to break the law by downloading movies and games that are currently on sales in the shops. Just like some of the old Disney and other fairy tales are free for you to do with them as you wish (like Walt Disney did), there are also some computer and video games that you can download and use free of worry, but there also many that you cannot.
Although the software you use to download online free games, whether they are bootleg games or genuinely free for you to download in law, is not illegal to use, using that same software to download protected bootleg games, music and movies is illegal. You should not do it.
It’s your choice how you use such software, and while there are many online free games available for you to download to your computer, there are many more that are bootleg games and hence not available for download. If you have been offered computer or video games at low cost, then you can be pretty sure that they are bootleg games and have been downloaded illegally.
Always be careful where you buy cheap games, but also always be aware that not all online free games are illegal or bootleg games. It all depends on the copyright, and the problem is that the same software can be used to download each for free used peer-to-peer file sharing – it’s not the software at fault, but you for using it that way. Such software is available online, but make sure that you use it legally.
About the Author
For more information on how to download Online Free Games (PS2, PSP Video etc) and also download free movies within the law, check out Pete’s site Online Free Moves where you will also learn more about the legal aspects of P2P file sharing.
Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Pete-Nisbet/37304