Copyright

Digital piracy or copyright violation is the unauthorized use of material that is covered by copyright law, in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.

When it comes to illegal downloading, a simple rule to remember is "If you are downloading something for free that you would normally pay for, there is a good chance that it is illegal." Under current copyright law, criminal cases of copyright violation carry a penalty of up to five (5) years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A legal alternative to P2P is iTunes, amazonMP3, hulu, Major Television Network Web Sites e.t.c this is the best way of avoiding breaking the law and having to punish for your actions.

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended by the Copyright and Trade Marks (Offences and Enforcement) Act 2002, currently protects copyrighted materials. People who distribute and download copyrighted recordings without permission face civil actions for potentially thousands of pounds of damages. Make no mistake: British copyright law is needlessly strict because it was born in an age that could not have envisaged the challenges of the internet.