Community Newsletter: Q&A: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use?
- 3/23/07 12:14 PM
Using Limewire
by wouldhe2 - 3/16/07 5:04 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Personally I use Limewire succesfully with no problems and have for a couple years now.
My take on it's legality and copyright. I am a musician and play in a cover band. To keep our setlist up to date with current music we have to have access to the music so that we can learn to play them. It's very convenient to hear a song and download it for learning. If one of our original songs was distributed and other bands want to play it, fantastic! here's another. These greedy musicians and their company's are too busy looking at the dollars and not seeing the whole world of cover bands perpetuating the very music they are making millions on.
P to P legal?
by charleff - 3/16/07 5:44 PM In reply to: Using Limewire by wouldhe2I stopped buying album Cd's years ago when the price got completely out of my realm. In the 80's the newest and/or most popular were costing at least $15 to $20 a pop. There were maybe two or three hits on them, and the rest, nice as they were, never got to be popular. The record companies deserve this. Maybe some of the artists don't, but they still make a humongous living. As far as I'm concerned, the public is owed so much after the greed of so many companies. Now I understand that some advertisers are taking Tivo to court to stop it's customers from zipping thru commercials. As little as ten years ago, I could zip thru 3 minutes of commercials on a vcr I had. Each time that button was pushed, it went through 1 minute. Daytime shows were three pushes. Nightime was three to five times. Now, forget it. Commercial after commercial after commercial. Why? You got it.....the bottom line.
LimeWire Ethics
by cybernomad - 3/16/07 5:26 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Even though my subject title reads "LimeWire Ethics" every MP3 has a rightfull owner who isn't in it for P2P ethics, but is in it to make money.
Long gone are the days of LPs and cassettes.
Our digital age has made it easier to pirate, swap music and movies.
Myself as a striving artist am completley aware of that fact. However that's not going to stop me from producing a piece of music. I won't be able to stop millions from downloading my tracks,, and to me that would be great. The problem I see here is downloading, making CDr copies and $elling them.
Thats where I am stung. I myself download MP3s here and there. I don't however make cds to sell. Besides you can't beat the quality of an original CDA formatted disc.
Mp3s don't sound great in that compressed format, but then again most aren't audiophiles the way I'd like other people to be. There is just no purity in MP3s how can there be, they're compressed files! So who buys compressed files? Those who didn't grow up understanding pure audio cleanliness. In our atomic age don't expect the downloads of MP3s to diminish. Unfortunatley do expect the piracy to continue. The internet knows no boundries and we the users know that we attain almost anything by pressing some keys. How can we give up something so easy?
p2p
by Age53 - 3/16/07 6:21 PM In reply to: LimeWire Ethics by cybernomadthe best sound isn't from digital mp3's, if you like the way a track sounds on a record over digital.
In europe they still use records, mainly for dj'ing but I know you can buy them coz I have purchased many of todays hits on record format, I like the way it sounds over the clearness of digital.
An sure I pay the price to buy these recording, I don't think I should have to spend extra cash in buying a digital track of the same music again, When I can go to a p2p site, get it for free.
theres just something about the hissing a record makes :P
WHATEVER l0l
by asciibinary - 3/16/07 6:30 PM In reply to: p2p by Age53Yeah, right... you like the hiss, you have the record - plug it to the input on your soundcard and press record. Where here do you have to use p2p, please.
Yes, it's legal
by bblackmoor - 3/16/07 5:43 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Yes, peer-to-peer file sharing programs are completely, totally, 100% legal. However:
a) If you run a file-sharing client, you should also protect your privacy by running PeerGuardian (it's free, like most good software).
b) You shpuld be very careful what you yourself share. At this time, due to frivolous and malicious lawsuits from RIAA, MPAA, and their ilk, you should not share anything unless you, yourself, have created it. This goes for music, movies, documents, etc.
c) You shouldn;t use Limewire. Use ShareAza. It's a much more safe, reliable, and flexible file-sharing program. And yes, of course it is free.
Regarding Limewire
by instantfly - 3/16/07 6:27 PM In reply to: Yes, it's legal by bblackmoorJust A Few Facts.
1. Limewire as a GUI is legal.
2. Most content is protected/copyrighted and NOT intended for 'shareware' , however, unless you download a fierce amount of content, you should not worry.
3. The largest problem is SPyWARE and other Viruses and Browser-Hijacking that occurs from using this companies P2P network.
I am a lead technician for IBM/Lenovo. On our used service days we fix more PCs from Viruses and Malware from Limewire users than any other program or service. Even the best of Antivirus programs will not catch content that is 'planted' by techies who are paid by the Recording Artists Industry as a "ha ha at you" for stealing their material. Advanced PC users can avoid these bad files, but most lamen (average) users will sooner or later end up with a PC that just mis-behaves or has connectivity issues. I know we all want music and whatever, but Limewire is NOT the place to get it.
I do not condone ANY theft of anything copyrighted, but I have heard through the grapevine that the safest out there by far is SoulSeek, and owned offshore (Europe) so they dont have legal issues, and they have scanning practices for some of the the questionable files.
Good Luck Brandy !
use limewire its the best
by IceFireX - 3/16/07 6:06 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
these nit wits telign you about copywrite junk is useless lol nonsense because there a bunch of idiots wanting to obey the law.guess what you can't get fined for using limewire and downloading music because its like sharing a cd with your friend you download the music off the cd to your computer and give it back to your friend exchanged like that,but its downloading from a bunch of friends and its the songs you are looking for.so download limewire and start downloading music there is nothing from with filesharing im sure evrbody does it with there friends.its like sharing a text document or sharing a dvd with a friend to borrow for the weekend.exchange to exchange no big deal.so don't read those posts that say dnt do it because its copyrighted stuff well guess what shove it,its sharing we all learned how to share when we were little kids in school,so we are using the skills we learnt now in life and sharing items,music,documents,pictures with each other being fair.
I'm sorry, Mr. Eaton, but it's not all about you.
by tao51nyc - 3/16/07 6:31 PM In reply to: use limewire its the best by IceFireXDavid Eaton ranted:
"FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH BLINDERS ON...
by David Eaton Productions - 3/10/07 10:43 AM
In reply to: Limewire by Melcas3
I hope that Mel has read the other posts here, but if it needs to be repeated, here goes:
USING P2P SOFTWARE TO DOWNLOAD COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED CONSENT OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER, IS ILLEGAL. PERIOD.
Mel, and all others, you may consider yourself notified."
I'm really getting tired of this guy's complaining. He's verbalizing everything that's wrong with the industry - you don't gain and keep loyal customers by threatening to sue them right and left. Small wonder many people are being turned off to music altogether. I certainly have been. And like many on this list, I grew weary of buying a 17-track CD only to have two tracks that were any good. I stopped buying CDs a long time ago. I'll probably never come back. By the same token, DRM is a cluster-frack that, again, discourages people from doing something they have always been able to do in the past: buy music and do what they want with it.
Here are some small inconvenient truths about the music industry:
1. Four major labels control 80% of the music you listen to.
2. 80% of the music you CAN'T listen to any longer - archived tracks from the last 70 years - is also sitting in the vaults of those same labels - and NOT being remastered - it's just sitting there, "copyrighted".
3. A lot of people - understanding the ramifications of #2, above, take it upon themselves to keep the music alive by digitizing their own collections and sharing them, P2P.
In other words, many people join P2P networks to find rare tracks that ARE NO LONGER FOR SALE, BY ANY LABEL, AT ANY PRICE. They may be technically "owned" by the labels, but are no longer "sold" by the labels - but the copyrights may still be valid.
The real battle that is going on is the last gasp of a failing vertical command-control gatekeeping business model for music distribution that is becoming obsolescent with the advent of horizontal digital distribution networks on relatively cheap PCs. As more artists come up, and realize they no longer need "services" like Mr. Eaton's (or EMI's), that high-priced "middleman" will fade away. The result, however, is that 1000 times more music will be legitimately sold to 1000 times more customers for 1000 times more income earned - it just won't be earned by the labels. It will be earned by the artists directly.
And any business model that leaves lawyers unemployed is a good thing.
P2P sites pros and cons
by BowHunter777 - 3/17/07 1:18 AM In reply to: I'm sorry, Mr. Eaton, but it's not all about you. by tao51nycI agree there are pro's and con's as in most things But I'd like just say IMO as far as artist's go none of them are going broke because of P2P sites.When you look at the price of CD,DVD,concert tickets and any merchandise these artist's put their name on or give their permission to sell, you really have to ask yourself "Who Are the Real Crooks here?.Just for a quick example , I'm sure most of us have heard about Brittney Spears problems lately and here checking in and out of rehab.That rehab she's been using as a revolving door cost's $200.000 a week, yep two hundred thousand a week.Like I said earlier there's pro's and con's and at the end of the day it's going to be up to the individual but again none of these people's wallets are getting any lighter.
Safe or legal?
by trublubush - 3/16/07 6:12 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Since I've had to deal with P2P programs such as Limewire, Kazaa, and others on some of my customer's computers, I can at least address the 'safe' part of this question.
If you ask me, "Is limewire safe to use?" I will return the question by asking you an equally valid question, "Is it safe to drive on the freeway?"
Ans: Even "good" drivers can get into accidents on the freeway and often do.
How many music sharers have gotten their computers infected by the use of a Peer to Peer program?
Ans: Many!
Allowing just "anybody" who happens along the internet to use your computer is just begging for problems and that is exactly what "peer to peer" does. You can always download music using legal means. Allowing the conversion of your "private" computer into an open end "networking" computer by installing a P2P program for the sake of a few free tunes doesn't really make that much sense. Why?? Because you're also allowing people to download items from your computer without your permission.
A hacker can spot your vulnerable computer a thousand miles away and allow you to download a "free" tune with a hidden rider attached, ...namely, a keylogger; but you'll never know that its happened until its too late. And now, ...the hacker has the means to obtain your passwords and other accounts info!! Lovely, huh??
Unlike driving on the freeway which involves the necessity of risk, you DON'T have to take a risk when it comes to downloading music. The good news is that it can be done legally if you're willing to caugh-up a few bucks.
>Trublu
limewire
by Age53 - 3/16/07 6:12 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well they do have it set up on limewire that if you see a file that has a licence coperight on it, your choice is now do u download it or not.
While being from Canada,it is not illegal for us to use such p2p programs for getting files, but it is oddly enough illegal for us to allow ppl to take(upload) music from our pc. They have tried to change the law on it but hasn't passed yet.
Usually anything I download I scann with my virus programs b4 using them.
Limewire Legalities and Safe To Use....
by darrenforster99 - 3/16/07 6:19 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Limewire can be safe to use but also dangerous in the wrong hands. Both your friends and the people at work are correct with their opinions on the software.
Firstly the legalities of Limewire - Yes Limewire is legal software to use as long as you don't use it to infringe copyright. This is the same as using a DVD or Video Recorder to record stuff, it's ok to use a VCR r DVD recorder to record your own home movies but it's a criminal offence to use it to record anything that's copyrighted without the copyright owners permission (and yes that does also include recording TV programmes).
For many years now different recording companies (mainly the RIAA) have been trying to shut things like Limewire down claiming they are illegal, but quite ironically one thing always comes up, this is the case that Sony won many years ago against the movie makers then (and now Sony is on the movie makers end!). This case was regarding the VCR. When the first VCR was made by Sony the movie companies tried to claim that a VCR was an illegal device, because it had no use other than to infringe copyright (and copy movies/TV shows), however Sony pulled up the fact that actually a VCR does have another use that's not illegal, and that's to record your own home movie creations that you hold the copyright for and that it was up to the end user as to how he or she used the device. The courts agreed and allowed Sony to make the VCR (just imagining if Sony had lost the case this could have opened up a load more cases - it might have made the chainsaw an illegal device as it could be used to kill, or pipes illegal as they could be used for smoking illecit substances). So at the end of the day Limewire is only illegal depending on how you use it, and bear in mind that it is you who will be liable for using it illegally.
Then you've also got the question of is it safe to use. Hmmm... this is a tricky one. It's only safe to use if you know how to use it safely (kind of like if you give a child a razor blade and then wonder why it cuts itself). First thing to watch for when using Limewire is viruses, ensure you have a proper virus checker running on your computer and don't open anything that might contain a virus such as .EXE, .COM, Microsoft Office Documents or .VB files. If you really must open anything that could contain a virus run a proper virus checker over it first (I recommend NOD32 from eSet) and if it's an Office document open it with OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office and disable any Macro's in it. There is less chance of the virus going from Microsoft to OpenOffice but it can happen. Now apart from Viruses you also have to be careful about what you are sharing to the outside world. When you setup Limewire it will ask you what you would like to share with the world, I recommend making a seperate directory and only sharing that, make sure the directory that you share with the outside world doesn't contain any personal information that you don't want the rest of the world to know (like your name/address/bank details/other people's details) as there are people out there that are looking on Limewire for this chance to take your personal files. So be very careful what you share with other people.
And one final thing that will help keep you safe with Limewire is to use a firewall to protect your system, I use both a firewall and PeerGuardian 2 to protect my system. PeerGuardian blocks limewire from attempting to connect to any known hackers websites/servers and this list is updated about once every two days. If you do use PeerGuardian though I would suggest turning logging off or only keep it for a day or else you'll find you have a really big log file taking up most of your computer.
Legal or Not Legal - Good Question
by trin911 - 3/16/07 6:25 PM In reply to: Is peer-to-peer software such as LimeWire legal and safe to use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You know I use limewire on a regular basis. I have seen and read and heard all the stories of how it is copywright infringement and the stuff. but lets get real here....How many of you used to take a friends cassette tape (yes I am showing my age) and made a copy of it because you didn't have the money or whatever to buy it yourself? Be honest here! I am sure several people and I mean SEVERAL people raised their hands. So please explain - what is the difference? NONE!
my 2 cents
by tinman1275 - 3/16/07 6:48 PM In reply to: Legal or Not Legal - Good Question by trin911After reading all these posts I feel I have to put my 2 cents worth in.
First off, the fact is you don't buy music online, you rent it, I discovered this little gem after spending more money than I care to admit at Puretracks, and found out the hard way that it can only be burnt 3 times. I was then stuck with a hard drive full of music that was useless unless I paid again.
Second, I agree to a point with the artist losing money with p2p downloads, but what about driving somewhere in your car and letting your friends ride along and listen to your music? After all they didn't pay the music company for the priveledge. And what about all the CD's that are sold because someone like myself downloaded music on p2p and liked the artist enough to go buy a copy?
As far as I'm concerned, as long as the person sharing isn't making money from it, then it should be fine. Otherwise someone should explain the difference between file sharing and for instance, having all your friends over for a party and playing your music collection, either way there are people enjoying it for free.
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