Curiosity: Do people get sued/fined/imprisoned for downloading or for sharing?

[phatj]

Just curious.

There are signs posted in my dorms about the misfortunes of downloading movies/mp3s/etc....

but are people being sued and/or imprisoned for BOTH downloading and sharing or just for sharing?

Thanks,

please note im not condoning pirating stuff.... just trying to settle a debate between my roommate and i

 

[FoBoT]

RIAA and MPAA now lease space from the US Govt. at Guantanamo Bay Cuba
you don't want to go there

 

[rudder]

Are you familiar with what a mason jar is and what size you will be stretched to if you DL that stuff?

 

[PingSpike]

They just fine you. And despite what that stupid little PSA thing they force everyone to watch when you rent their DVDs says, downloading is not stealing. Its copyright infrignment. Stealing would be if I took your apple, leaving you without an apple. Copyright infrignment is more like I used your Star Trek food replicator without your permission.

 

[bigrash]

i hear you can now get imprisoned for posting in ATOT.

mods, please delete my post here. i don't wanna be imprisoned.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
They just fine you. And despite what that stupid little PSA thing they force everyone to watch when you rent their DVDs says, downloading is not stealing. Its copyright infrignment. Stealing would be if I took your apple, leaving you without an apple. Copyright infrignment is more like I used your Star Trek food replicator without your permission.

10 points for a good analogy

 

[phatj]

uhhhhh ok so fining....... does the RIAA/MPAA go after only SHARERS or both SHARERS and Downloaders?

I could have sworn people have been sued for downloading.... but i cant find any articles proving my case

 

[PingSpike]

I don't think they've sued anyone for downloading, only uploading. That probably has to do with it being more difficult (impossible?) to prove.

 

[jjones]

I had thought that it was just sharing the copyrighted material is against the law. That the act of downloading alone was not illegal.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: phatj
uhhhhh ok so fining....... does the RIAA/MPAA go after only SHARERS or both SHARERS and Downloaders?

I could have sworn people have been sued for downloading.... but i cant find any articles proving my case

They attempt to go after sharers and downloaders. Basically shotgun lawsuits that sometimes get people without computers.

 

[phatj]

apparently they sued a twelve year old... found a couple articles. Thanks

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: phatj
apparently they sued a twelve year old... found a couple articles. Thanks

There was an article how they tried to sue a 12-year old's mom, but that case was dismissed by a Michigan judge. Then they tried to sue the 12-year old, but the court dismissed that two for various reasons. Here is something about it: Text

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

its a grey area, they haven't sued anyone for downloading files, just sharing them. The people that have gotten in trouble because they were "downloading" files is because they were using, for example, bittorrent and uploading as they were downloading.

 

[0roo0roo]

jail is for selling on a massive scale. our prisons are already overflowing from druggies and such.