How to Download Movies Legally

Illegally downloading movies from the Internet involves video transfer to a user without the consent of the copyright holder. The legal argument given by peer-to-peer software companies and others is that the ability to watch a movie is not an infringement upon a copyright. To avoid legal and financial problems, Internet users should understand how to legally download movies as currently defined by federal law.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Bookmark Web sites that have developed relationships with movie studios to show clips or full-length versions of their films. There are a number of video-sharing and social-networking Web sites (such as Yahoo! and MySpace) used by movie studios to reach millions of Internet users. Users who view material on these Web sites are free to watch as much as they want.

2. Utilize your video-enabled MP3 player or mobile phone to download extended clips or full-length versions of your favorite films. Movie studios are working with MP3 and mobile-phone providers to stave off copyright infringement through the purchase of downloadable files. This process is still in its infancy, and costs are still high for phones or MP3 players with video options.

3. Get in touch with movie studios or a representative from the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) to discuss the latest trends in legal movie downloads. These organizations are willing to speak with concerned viewers who want to know how they can utilize new technology without infringing upon copyright laws.

4. Ascertain the rights of peer-to-peer and social-networking Web sites to provide movie downloads by reading their legal disclaimers. Legitimate Web providers of copyrighted movies will go out of their way to demonstrate that they have permissions and partnerships to allow movie downloads. If you can't find any such disclaimers, chances are the distribution of content from that site is not legal.

Tips & Warnings

• Peruse the Motion Picture Association of America's Web site to gain an industrial view of movie downloads (see Resources below) Their section on piracy includes a list of Web sites that allow you to legally download and view copyrighted movies.

• People who download movies illegally on the Internet are subject to penalization according to the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (see Resources below). This legislation allows courts to punish violators based on each violation and the willfulness of the act.