Community Newsletter: Q&A: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use?
- 3/23/07 12:14 PM
limewire and free music
by pnoric - 3/9/07 11:15 AM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It sounds like you want to try using limewire because, "Why pay $12.00 to $20.00 for a CD when you can download it for 'free'?" On the other hand there is lots of free music and if it is "legal" you don't need limewire. Before spending hours wrestling with software for the savy, try spending 15 minutes and $9.99 to purchase a subscription from Napster or iTunes. For one thing, it is a lot more fun.
Without going into the legal or ethical issues of distribution and use of copywrited material, consider what it really takes to download music "for free".
Starting at the beginning and get fire wire (and or others) then find the places to use it, hook up and download your first file. Now LISTEN to it. Is it really CD quality? No skips, bumps or at high volume no crackling or weird short wave like sounds or other junk in the back ground? Does it sound like an old LP recorded to cassette? And are you sure you didn't get a little more than you bargained for like spyware, adware, malware or worse? Is it still worth more time and effort to sync it to ipod (or figure out why it won't), or making a play list, adding titles and burning it into a CD and printing a label so you can drop it into your car's CD player or enjoy it through your home entertainment center? Then does it say "Tack 1" or, "Stairway to Heaven bootleg cafe recording".
Fast forward 4 months. Now you are a downloading with software from geeks who showed you how to use it on mirc. Was it worth it? Is it worth being a peer? Or does that boxed set of Led Zepplen (every album with all the songs in order and extras) for $128.00 (or $78.00 used from Ebay) now look like the bargain it didn't before?
Or would you buy a lot more CDs at $3.99, $4.99 or $5.99? Suppose you could download them legally for $2.99?
Recording industry, are you listening? Right now "piracy" is mainly a protest.
There is a major shortcomming with the subscription services. All the versions of "Mystic Mountain" are from tribute bands.
Lime Wire
by nurdled - 3/9/07 11:27 AM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Is lime wire legal, the answer is just a little complicated. If you use lime wire to transfere non copy writed material then you are legal. Use Lime wire to get copy writed material such as music, program files, etc than you are technically breaking the law. Is it safe ????? Well all I can say is you better have a good anti-virus program. Since you are pulling information from peoples computers that you do not know, just about anything is possible.
My advice would be to avoid this service especially if you are a novice computer user.
Frank and Maddie
Sadly, it's illegal
by unquenchablefire - 3/9/07 11:52 AM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I know there are mixed knowledge about Limewire online. As far as i know, the program itself is rather safe and the client is legal to use. Let me re-iterate: it is the program itself that is legal to use. What becomes illegal is when people use Limewire to download coppyrighted material, such as music or movies. Even if you pay the fee for the pro version of the program, it does not entitle you to download music for free. Do not use Limewire or any other peer-to-peer music sharing system if you do not want to break the law. The only way you will ever get free music is if it is 1. Streaming - playable online only and not downloadable or 2. Released for free by the artist - many independent or unsigned artits release their music for free online, but almost no signed professional musicians do.
There is a huge number of people that will tell you that, because you paid for Limewire, you are allowed to download any music that you can find. Sadly, this is untrue. The reason that the company is not getting sued however, is because they say you aren't supposed to download music with their client. Also, they have no control over what their users choose to share.
Legal or not? Safe?
by bpglenn - 3/9/07 11:53 AM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you download a work that is currently copyrighted then it is illegal with one possible exception. The exception would be that you already own a legal copy of the work and download a copy that doesn't have the scratches and defects on your legal copy. If the work is not copyrighted then you have no problems but anything produced in the last 75 years is most likely copyrighted. Is is safe? I would not trust it. Limewire and sites like it are notorious for adding malware, unsafe cookies, etc.
My advise. Forget using Limeware and similar web sites.
in reply re limewire
by eraroh - 3/9/07 11:53 AM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
i paid £12 for limewire pro, i think its marvellous, BUT you do get some viruses, to me its well worth the hassle, vernon fiske
Fairplay
by motleypooh - 3/16/07 9:11 PM In reply to: in reply re limewire by erarohWhy would someone pay to "upgrade" to Limewire Pro ? Just do a search for it from Limewire or Ares or Bearshare or any of the many P2P's
limewire
by mikejoeandme - 3/9/07 11:59 AM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use limewire and don't have any problems and certainly don't allow folder sharing though.
Limewire is like any other music site, if there is a virus or trojan going round, your firewall and anti virus should stop it in its tracks
Good luck
Mike
Limewire
by mroent - 3/9/07 12:03 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've used limewire in the past and found it useful if you wanted something fast and free. BUT I got to warn you as you know there are spyware looming around on the internet. The same is true when you download music from limewire. Not only you'll get spyware/adwares (lots of it), you'll also putting your computer in risk in get a virus as the more you download. I'm sure it's illegal, you are stealing money from the artist. So you need to carefully monitor what you downloaded and periodically run some type of adware killer like ad-adware. But overall I would avoid downloaded off the internet (any type of programs). Hopefully this will help with your decision.
You have asked some very good questions...
by badpennywebsolutions - 3/9/07 12:18 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I accessed WIKI to get the answers toyour questions, and this is what I fond out in a nutshell. Limewire is a Java Platform application tht facilitates the downloads of music from iTunes, and shared files, etc., and is primariy used to download music. This is relatively safe, per se, but there are inherent risks involved in downloading shared files, including the threat of unwanted programs piggybacking on the download. You also must consider things as the legality of downloading free music, which is illegal in most states, as well as on a federal level, outside of certain guidelines. For a list of guidelines, you must access your state's website to get information pertaining to free music downloads.
Limewire is perfectly safe and legal as long as you use it for iTunes only, as they are in compliance with all known laws.
I would suggest that if you truly want free music downloads, that you join one of the many services that provide such legally, such as download.com or realnetworks.com. You might not find your favorite artists at download.com, but it is the best place to find new artists. Realnetworks is subscription based, so you would have to pay a monthly fee, but you will also get regular downloads free every month.
Reply to Brandy L.
by Promisekept - 3/9/07 12:31 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Brandy, your question is a very good one. I had the same concerns when Limewire was recommended to me, and I too was afraid. I do download songs from Limewire at the same time I exercise caution. This is what I have learned. First, downloading music from Limewire or any free music website is illegal because of copywrite laws. However, there is much controversy about this issue that the law is being slack on prosecuting individuals until an agreement has been made. When downloading songs from Limewire you are told that the download is in fact illegal, then you are asked, "do you want to continue?"... which puts the responsibility on you.
As for being unsafe ... yes, they are talking about the songs. You are taking a chance on picking up a virus. I try to get my music from friends and when that fails and I really have to have a particular song I will take a chance on downloading from Limewire.
If you choose to proceed with the download I recommend that you choose songs with a minimum of 2,000 KB, and choose songs with the most star ratings. Choosing to purchase Limewire Pro gives you a little more protection as they keep a closer eye on the music being shared, but infected songs can still sneak in. To stay completely safe ... stay away from downloading free music.
Hope this helps,
Kath
Is 'Limewire' safe and legal?
by yukiuk - 3/9/07 12:40 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Brandy R - Well, your question will certainly open a can of worms. There will be so many conflicting replies and suggestions you may well be more confused than before. Firstly, on the legalities. This is a very complex subject with lots of gray areas. Opinions differ widely and I suppose ultimately it's up to your own conscience.
On the subject of safety. I have downloaded and used Limewire and I can assure you it does NOT come bundled with any spyware or adware. There is , however plenty of spyware associated with the downloads. I downloaded 4 songs from Limeware and collected 19 trojans in the process. I use Pc-Cillin anti virus and fortunately not only did it find the trojans (through it's 'real time scan') but also got rid of them for me. Needless to say, I uninstalled Limeware immediately and no longer use it. My grandaughter (who is 15) does not have a commercial anti virus program and uses Limewire for music downloads. Around every 12 to 18 months she has accumulated so much spyware that her computer no longer functions properly and she has to have the hard drive professionaly cleaned.
I don't profess to be an expert and can only offer advice based on personal experience. I haven't tried all of the P2P software available but I downloaded and have been using 'Ares' for some time and to this date have had no problems whatsoever. Ares is quite a bit slower than Limeware but I would sacrifice speed for safety any time.
Hope this helps, good luck and happy downloading.
JIMBO
message for member - grimble
by billy~1 - 3/17/07 2:22 PM In reply to: Is 'Limewire' safe and legal? by yukiukgrimble: said - "Around every 12 to 18 months she has accumulated so much spyware that her computer no longer functions properly and she has to have the hard drive professionaly cleaned".
if you go on - www.freewareweb.com - you can download a little program called CCleaner, which will clear all the ' junk ' from your grand-daughters hard drive - (which is very surprising) - hope this little snippet helps - best regards, billy
Limewire - Legal and safe?
by David Eaton Productions - 3/9/07 12:44 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There are two issues to Brandy's question – Legality and Safety.
LEGALITY -- Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing programs, in and of themselves, are not illegal. However, their most frequent use, trading music without a license, is illegal. Here’s how it works…
When you create something, whether it be a photograph, a song, a book, or even a home movie “Happy Valentines” you are the ‘author’ of that property. As the author, you are instantly granted control over who may make, sell, or trade copies of it, and for what purpose. This law is called the Copyright Law, and it makes the use of your creations, without your permission (which you grant through a ‘license’), illegal.
Limewire and other P2P programs make it easy for anyone connected to the internet to search and download files on the computers of other users. If you make available “Happy Valentines,” to which YOU OWN the Copyright, that is a perfectly LEGAL use of the service.
However, most people load, and do searches for, popular music to which they DO NOT own the Copyright! That is an ILLEGAL use of the service.
So who is hurt by this?
First - the labels, producers, retail record shops, are all on the critical list with most leaving the business. As an independent producer, I have lost over $700,000 to illegal downloading.
Second – the Artists. P2P sharing removes revenue that allows Record labels and Producers to develop new talent, so if an artist is not an instant “HIT,” their careers are often over.
And Third – you, the listener. The first recordings of Bob Dylan, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, 311, Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill and many other artists were not instant hits. In today’s record industry, they would probably not get a second chance.
Now the sencond issue, SAFETY -- Most of these products are reasonably safe, IF you are careful about partitioning your computer to limit the access of others. However, if you do not follow the instructions correctly, you will allow full access (and license) to other P2P users, including your bank records, personal letters, private photos and movies (remember "Happy Valentines?"), etc., all of which YOU own the Copyright. If you follow the instructions and are reasonably computer savvy, (or if you don’t mind giving up privacy), you should be fine.
Dude, what are you saying?
by philchil - 3/17/07 4:26 AM In reply to: Limewire - Legal and safe? by David Eaton ProductionsHello, Kelly Clarkson, Fall out boy, I thought they were contemporary artists - what century are you talking about?! Makes me doubt the legality of your "David Eaton Productions" with comments like those.
Limewire
by clp01 - 3/17/07 2:47 PM In reply to: Limewire - Legal and safe? by David Eaton ProductionsTo David Eaton Productions - I am with you on this one! I just installed "child safe" software (last night) to help me control my teenager's access to the 'net, mostly because he can't be trusted to not download and install stuff that I don't approve of - including copyrighted music via Limewire. Yes, Limewire itself isn't illegal, but neither is owning a kitchen knife, yet both can be used to perform illegal acts. Stealing is stealing, whether it is shoplifting a CD from the store or downloading music you haven't paid for. Until my son "gets it", there won't be any Limewire, Morpheous, or other P2P software on our home PC. Thanks for letting me vent!
-Midwest Mom 8^)
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