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Questions tagged [online-piracy]

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59 votes
4 answers
32k views

How do people publicly admit to criminal activity and not typically get arrested?

I've noticed that people on YouTube and even on TV would sometimes say things like "I used to take lots of coke a few years ago" or "I used to smoke weed daily until this and that" or "Yea, I smoke ...
Jack's user avatar
  • 765
45 votes
2 answers
18k views

Is it illegal to backup your hard drive if you have copyrighted software on it?

Is it illegal if you create a backup of an HDD that has copyrighted software installed on it? This could be anything from legally purchased games and or expensive popular graphics/video editing ...
LateralTerminal's user avatar
28 votes
4 answers
11k views

Is it legal to track users of pirated software?

I'm making a piece of software right now, and I'm just doing it in my free time, so I'm not too serious about it. I want to make a version of the software and put a tracker in it that interfaces with ...
Byte11's user avatar
  • 551
24 votes
3 answers
32k views

Is downloading YouTube videos legal?

I've always been under the assumption that doing such was illegal. I don't see any difference between downloading music from YouTube and downloading music from The Pirate Bay. Apparently, there is ...
BCLC's user avatar
  • 939
18 votes
3 answers
7k views

Why are there so many YouTube to MP4 and MP3 download websites online when it is illegal?

If it is illegal to download videos and audios from YouTube due to copyright reasons, why are there so many YouTube to MP4 and MP3 download websites online? For example, https://freevideotomp3.com/, ...
PedroD's user avatar
  • 331
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is it piracy to obtain software you purchased in an alternate way?

Lets say you purchased software in the 90s or early 2000s, but lost the license key and or the disc. Another possibility is the company is no longer supporting and or does not provide older versions ...
LateralTerminal's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is it legal to download movies in Canada?

For years Canada has been known as a pirates' safe haven, but copyright in Canada has been going under huge reform for the past few years, and it's been hard to keep up with all the changes. With the ...
ShemSeger's user avatar
  • 1,008
8 votes
2 answers
6k views

What stops stolen software from offering a valid license?

A common pattern in software distribution is to have an installer program that pops up and offers the user a license to the software, and prompts the user to accept it. This End User License Agreement ...
interfect's user avatar
  • 3,847
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Are "Plex servers" as they seem to be commonly used actually illegal?

There's a piece of software called "Plex" that basically lets you operate your own private streaming service. You load it up with music and video files, and then you can connect to it from ...
interfect's user avatar
  • 3,847
7 votes
1 answer
3k views

Does a shareholder of a company also have copyright rights?

If I buy, say, a share in The Walt Disney Company, does that give me part ownership in the intellectual property? Does this ownership then give me the right to copy it?
danuker's user avatar
  • 163
6 votes
3 answers
378 views

Can I inspect websites' source in teaching video?

As a web developer, I find that we can learn a ton about HTML, CSS and JavaScript by opening the Developer Tools in Chromium and inspect elements, seeing the names other developer choose for their CSS ...
Vince Varga's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

How legal is offering abandonware for download?

A quick background to my project (it's essential to the question, as you'll see later): My project offers a multiplayer server platform for server listings for a game (Crysis Wars), allowing players ...
AStopher's user avatar
  • 162
6 votes
1 answer
922 views

Legal Backups: Can copies of other owners' backups be used?

Many legal systems protect the rights of legal owners of copies (of copyrighted works) to backup these copies. If I own a DVD or a book, I can* rip that DVD and scan that book to a PDF. But what if ...
Jonathon's user avatar
  • 329
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

John Green once searched something up on a pirated copy of his own book in the US. Is piracy like that illegal even then?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVN9nenCGwM So John had mistakenly believed that there was a quote from Paper Towns, which he wrote and so Hank and his companies made merchandise out of the quote. He ...
R-Obsessive's user avatar
  • 1,215
5 votes
1 answer
597 views

Is downloading a Youtube video legal in this situation?

Having read through the Youtube ToS, it states: Content is provided to you AS IS. You may access Content for your information and personal use solely as intended through the provided ...
wot's user avatar
  • 153
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Computer Fraud and Abuse Act equivalent for citizens

What equivalent do ordinary US citizens have in terms of digital protectionss, as the US government and its financial interests have as defined in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act?
Justin's user avatar
  • 57
4 votes
1 answer
797 views

Why YTS owner not jailed for illegal digital distribution, even police caught him?

The guy behind YTS must be thanking his lucky stars. On 21 October, 2015 MPAA team shut down YTS site. Mega Upload owner was jailed for decades, even after he is running legal site, But YTS is not a ...
Latha Sharmaji's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
196 views

How is downloading a movie from the internet different from using home recording equipment?

As I was watching Despicable Me on free-to-air TV, I was thinking that maybe the next time it runs and Frozen I should set my PVR set top Box to record them. But then that got me thinking: if I ...
Memor-X's user avatar
  • 423
4 votes
1 answer
280 views

Storing pirated data online who is responsible?

If I were to set up an online storage company and sell GB/TB who would be responsible for my customers uploading pirated/illegal data on my storage servers? Would declaring in the terms and ...
Steven Yates's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
10k views

Is it illegal to download cracked software one has purchased?

Assuming someone purchases a piece of software, but due to an error, has to wait for an arbitrary amount of time to download the software, would it be a criminal act to download or use a cracked ...
Ammar Bandukwala's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
720 views

How was The Pirate Bay able to get back online after being shut down?

The Pirate Bay in the past year had its servers raided by Swedish Police and the site was shut down. On what grounds were Swedish police able to raid TPB servers and shut down the site, under Swedish ...
J.Todd's user avatar
  • 1,466
3 votes
4 answers
3k views

Are pirated movies and software legal for personal use?

Is it legal to download pirated movies or software for personal---that is non-commercial---use?
Rupesh_Kr's user avatar
  • 149
3 votes
2 answers
757 views

Why is Software Piracy Considered Theft?

I know the question sounds mundane and perhaps even silly at first glance, but, consider it for a moment. Our qualm with piracy seems to be premised with some notion of loss at the owners/business' ...
user581844's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to avoid unwarranted bills as a victim of online order fraud (with zalando)

What has happened A unknown party has ordered multiple items from zalando.ch (a clothing retailer), while using my address as the delivery address. Note: I have no account there, and never ordered, so ...
Marcel's user avatar
  • 145
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is linking to illegal free-movie streaming websites itself copyright infringement?

(Site hosted in Canada) Would a website containing a list of links to free-movie websites be considered illegal? The "free movie websites" are hosting copyrighted movies without permission. ...
Loius CK's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
115 views

(EU) Can a license agreement demand a specific compensation for unlicensed use of the software?

Scenario: As a software developer I create a WordPress extension that does x which I sell for, let's say, $20. When buying it's clearly mentioned you are only allowed to install it on a single website....
nickpapoutsis's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
499 views

Downloading music using "online converters"

Is it illegal to use online converters to download .mp3 files of songs from websites such as Soundcloud, YouTube etc. You can search online for terms such as youtube to mp3 or download from ...
user9506231's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
116 views

Frequency lists derived from copyrighted works

If someone were to publish word frequency lists derived from copyrighted films or books on their website would this constitute fair use, or be a breach of copyright? The word frequency lists would ...
JDA's user avatar
  • 33
3 votes
1 answer
172 views

What factors determine if a person guilty of software piracy receives a custodial sentence?

This article suggests that a person who pirates content in the US is unlikely to receive a custodial sentence if found guilty of criminal software piracy There are 3 amateur legal opinions in the ...
user4951's user avatar
  • 800
3 votes
0 answers
102 views

If a (US-based) website repeatedly allows users to post my copyrighted material what legal actions can I take?

I'm a university lecturer in Australia teaching mathematics. I produce question sheets for my students. It takes significant effort to produce high-quality questions. These question sheets are ...
Joel's user avatar
  • 139
2 votes
1 answer
369 views

Is there anything stopping US States from pirating software now, with this new Supreme Court ruling?

Recently, the US Supreme Court ruled that states can't be sued over copyright violations due to sovereign immunity in a lawsuit between North Carolina and a film-maker whose work was infringed by them....
nick012000's user avatar
  • 1,850
2 votes
2 answers
267 views

Copyrights owner rights in case of DMCA – user block

Recently I started to sell my digital items in the web and faced with the piracy. Pirates fraud my files from the market, upload them to the file hosting services and posts the links to warez web ...
Ilya Kanatov's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
1k views

Is it piracy to download a copy of a book that my university has?

If my university's library has a book available for students, is it piracy/illegal if those students download some copy from the internet in PDF? There are some books I would like to study but they ...
Carlos Goncalves's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
656 views

Is it legal to sell Pokémon?

In the games, given enough effort and time, a player can get Pokémon with better stats and alternate color palettes, and are highly valued by players. Additionally, there is a built-in function that ...
user189728's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
162 views

Can media illegally downloaded in banned regions be legally used in regions where it is not banned?

Suppose you live in a region where the government has banned the purchase of some media (e.g., songs, movies, or software). So you cannot legally purchase licenses from the owners; the only way to ...
0_o's user avatar
  • 123
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Legalities of Extensions that modify websites

I am wondering how it can be legal to make or use extensions that modify the functioning of businesses' websites. Specifically, I am looking at Firefox extensions that modify YouTube's functionality. ...
Rachel Johnson's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
118 views

What must an ISP do to be protected under the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act

Under statute 512 of the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act (OCCA) in section (c)(1)(A)(iii) it stipulates that an ISP upon obtaining such knowledge or awareness, acts ...
Jake Sylvestre's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
127 views

Closed source code theft prevention via license

Let's say I have an app stored as a closed source code (e.g on github) for which I have a software license in place (Apache 2.0), is this enough to prevent/prosecute an employee or just a random ...
Jan Safronov's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is it legal to rip ISOs/ROMs from physical game discs for use in a PC emulator?

I live in Germany. I own a Wii Console and related hardware, as well as some games in the form of physical discs. I would like to play those games (which I legally own on disk) on my PC using an ...
rafe's user avatar
  • 31
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is it legal to run console (Nintendo) games on an emulator if one has an original copy of these games?

It is often believed (and spread) that: Emulators of video game consoles are not illegal; Downloading proprietary games for such consoles and/or running them on emulators is illegal, except if one ...
gaazkam's user avatar
  • 395
2 votes
2 answers
224 views

What are the legalities of online research involving illegal services?

I want to do a thesis paper involving illegal online resources. I don't want to be persecuted for these things though. What are some of the steps I would need to take to legitimately go about ...
cloudnyn3's user avatar
  • 155
1 vote
2 answers
148 views

Can copyrighted work be distributed for free if it was done so by the owner previously?

Once upon a time a UK music band put one of their songs on their website for free download. Time has passed, the website has changed drastically and the song is not available there anymore. Neither it ...
Greendrake's user avatar
  • 28.2k
1 vote
2 answers
181 views

Is using Youtube illegal if the uploader does not have distribution rights?

This question is propted by this one. The answers seems to assume that youtube has a valid licence to distribute the work. What if that is not the case? Is it illegal to watch/listen to a video ...
User65535's user avatar
  • 9,354
1 vote
1 answer
220 views

Is a developer liable for illicit use of an app? [duplicate]

A software developer receives a Content Infringement complaint against his app, which facilitates video downloads from YouTube. The software developer believes he is not responsible for the act of ...
Mg Bhadurudeen's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
107 views

Is it possible to sue a hacker based on his mail?

Some friend of mine got his mailbox hacked yesterday, meaning his entire contactlist received mails from him saying something like: I'm in a bad period in my life, I really feel sad, please mail me ...
Rafalon's user avatar
  • 113
1 vote
1 answer
4k views

Is it legal to download progamming eBooks from GitHub?

I recently planned to buy one of the book from Microsoft Press Store online. But browsing through one of the technical blog, I found the blog author providing link to download the same eBook for free....
Shaiju T's user avatar
  • 113
1 vote
1 answer
103 views

Using "Educational Use" to circumvent copy-protection?

Does this link mean "educational use" gets a free pass on circumventing copy protection. 17 U.S. Code § 1201 - Circumvention of copyright protection systems Specifically this section. (d)...
LateralTerminal's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
273 views

Is it illegal to download abandoned apps no longer sold on Google Play Store?

Lets say you want to buy an app. Specifically Super Monkey Ball 2 which is no longer sold because it is unsupported by newer versions of android. The game runs great in newer versions of android. ...
LateralTerminal's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
780 views

If I have access to some else's Whatsapp, can I use it as evidence?

I have a client who asked me the following question. Her husband gave her access to his Whatsapp as a trust exercise. She then used it to open Whatsapp web on her computer and follow the ...
Adrian's user avatar
  • 13
1 vote
1 answer
106 views

How much trouble would a company be for using pirated software and ripping off online course videos and selling them as their own

My Situation I was hired as a UI/graphics designer for company A. This is a startup company and the environment is not very professional which I kinda like. But some people who are friends with ...
NoctisXLuna's user avatar