Illegally Downloading Movies – You Do the Crime, You Do the Time

Illegal movie downloads, most people know someone who has dabbled in it however not many people are aware of the legality and problems that may arise when downloading movies illegally online. With the vast amount of content that has been made freely available online it is no wonder why some people do experiment in downloading movies unknowing of the possible consequences. With almost 16.6 million people illegally downloading the hit movie Avatar in 2010 it shows you why the industry is desperate to halt and hopefully stop the steadily increasing stream of illegal downloads each lebah86.

There is no other way to put it but illegally downloading movies is wrong, the clue is in the name and those that participate in this hobby are breaking the law. Downloading pirated movies is constituted as a criminal act which can lead to a variety of differing punishment for both the individual uploading the films onto file sharing web sites and for those downloading them onto their home PC. The punishments can range from large fines to imprisonment for the individuals who are downloading the films.

Fines are probably the most used method of punishment used by the movie industry to combat people who illegally download films. In April this year a group of 20,000 people were sued by a US based copyright group for illegally downloading films and they state that there were plans for another 30,000 people to also face the same action. New technology means that internet software can automatically track the users who download material on torrent sights and then flag those they suspect of illegal activity to the appropriate authority.

Although not as common as a hefty fine those that are found guilty can also end up doing some jail time. Serious offenders and repeat offenders have been known to serve a custodial sentence. More recently in Germany a new law is being discussed. It has been proposed that anyone found guilty of downloading a single illegal movie for personal use would face a prison sentence of two years. Anyone found guilty of downloading or copying films for commercial gain would face a sentence of 5 years. These are moves that the copyright and film industry are pressing for to be replicated in all leading countries. Once again you have to weigh up what you would rather do, spend a small amount of money to legally buy the movies from the legal sites or risk spending a lengthy spell behind bars?

In a more recent move by the larger film companies pressure has been placed on the Internet service providers to hand over the information of those who are downloading the films and a request to totally ban them from accessing the internet in future by blocking their IP address. Another new policy that is being implemented by many internet service providers is a three strike rule. If you are suspected of downloading films illegally you are sent a stern letter expressing that you stop all activity, ignore this and the subsequent follow-up letter and then you receive a third strike. On the third strike your details are sent to the owners of the copyrighted material who can request that not only are you barred from using the internet but that you are also attend a legal proceeding where you will face prosecution for your actions.

In terms of downloading movies illegally there is such a high risk involved, a genuine risk of imprisonment or a hefty fine. You do wonder why so many people still partake in this practice when there is an abundance of affordable legal sites you can use. You have been warned, if you do the crime you need to be prepared to do the time if and when you get caught. Remember, technology is on the increase each and every day, the film industry is worth millions and they are not going to allow those suspected of stealing from them to walk free.

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