If a Canadian were to use Limewire to download music illegally, would that Canadian be violating the law?
929861
It is legal to share music in Canada because we pay a levee (a tax) on all media that we record on. (cd's, tapes etc.) The courts basically said that they already charge us for using recordable media so they can't now turn around and say that we cannot record on it.  It is legal to download, but not upload is something else I have heard.
209740
Depends if you want to break the law or not.  The legal way is to use a site like iTunes or Napster to pay for music you download. Also I think Yahoo has a download site as well. If you want free music and to take your chances with the law then Ares is a good program. Hope that helps, good luck!
611272
It is not illegal to use limewire per se - it is a file sharing system, just as if you put some files on a flash drive, brought it to your friend's house and loaded the files onto their computer. The system is not illegal, but it can be used to breach copyright, which is illegal.\n\nif you own the copyright to a song, then you are free to let anyone download it. \n\nhowever, downloading mp3s without the express permission of the copyright holder is definitely illegal.
510864
Courts ruled in Europe and in America that file-sharing software like Limewire is not in itself illegal - but downloading copyrighted material from those websites is. If you read the legal stuff on the Limewire page they will say that Limewire is totally legal - and it is, for Limewire. The average downloader who wants to get copyrighted music is still committing an illegal act and can be prosecuted....
139570
If you are legally downloading songs from a music store or source that is paid, no.\n\nIf you illegally download free music, you could possibly be fined.  The RIAA has been pursuing suits against illegal downloads, and there are many cases that are currently in process.
116502
as far as i know downloading anything which you are not paying for without the authors permission is stilling... itunes and napster are the most know legal sites.
407024
Not yet. But if the senate passes this bill, it could be even illegal to stream music on the net. If the RIAA succeeds in doing that, fortunately only music under a Creative Commons license will be available : )
66186
The system isn't illegal, no.\n\nHowever, if you distribute/or download copyright-protected media, that is illegal. That's basically abusing the principle of Peer-2-Peer and other File Sharing programs.
944844
Limewire is legal.  Downloading the music, that is the illegal part.
86355
Technically downloading any copyrighted work whether it be software, music, movies, et al is illegal.  That being said those that get in trouble only get in trouble because they were sharing the files they downloaded or already had, that's how they (the government) finds you.  If you just download but don't share it becomes next to impossible to find you.  And most of the people we are talking about here had servers with many copyrighted works on them.  Generally speaking the individual user is fairly safe but there are exceptions.\n\nNo, Kazaa is not okay, because the free version of Kazaa is full of spyware.  Since you have probably heard of it, LimeWire, http://www.limewire.com/ is great but I have since moved to FrostWire, http://www.frostwire.com/ which is the open source free version of LimeWire Pro.  And FrostWire is based overseas so it would be harder for US laws to affect the software.  I'll reiterate that if you share your files you are at risk of getting in trouble so it's just best if you DO use it to just download and not share anything.\n\nWhen you download files from ANY P2P network always, always scan them with your anti-virus software before running the files.  There is always the possibility the file you downloaded could contain a virus and if it does most AV programs will detect them because it is probably an old virus to which your AV software will have definitions for.  Zero day attacks are not likely to occur on a P2P network.  If you don't have a virus scanner, AVG Free is an excellent one, http://free.grisoft.com/\n\nThere is no guarantee, it is 99.5% safe.  That is, there is only a >1% chance you will actually get caught, there is a slight risk but it is mostly safe.  Mostly being the operative term.
688008
The program itself is not illegal.  Limewire has many legal things that you can do with it (For instance, to download linux ISOs, or indy music released to the public tobe shared).\n\nMany people will use this and similar applications to download copyrighted material, which is illegal in many countries.
680277
Limewire, it is illegal though.
207809
The programs to download/share files are legal.\n\nUsing them to download copyright protected files (i.e.. most music files) is illegal if you do not pay for them.\n\nUse I-Tunes.  The program is free - the music is not. But it is legal.
1170984
Probably not, for download sites to be legal, the artists must get the profits off songs that are downloaded, if the music is free the artist isn't getting any money, and its basically like stealing. The best thing I've found is Napster, you pay a montly fee and you can download as many songs as you want without the 99 cents fee, although some songs aren't available for "free" download, and must be bought for 99 cents.
1012711
Technically it is illegal to download most music from Limewire, P2P programs, and Torrents. .How much you download is up to you.  The idiots that are dumb enough to get caught by the RIAA are the people who download thousands of songs and then share them all.\n\nIf you download, and only share a little, you have about the same chance of being caught as you would be to win the lottery.\n\nPersonally, I don't have a problem with downloading music, movies, etc, because CDs are too expensive, and the record companies take most of the profits.  It also doesn't bother me because I already have a CD collection and a movie collection.
874863
Limewire itself is legal, i use it constantly, its just that certain songs etc are not licensed and it's illegal to download those.. Its a great social downloading site.. I believe in sharing, especially since music is going downhill these days... why should we pay for the older stuff, when they're already millionaires and set for life... and i do think its fine for those without enough money to use it...\n\n\nFor 99 cents in china, you can buy a dvd, or full cd even.. Its so expensive in the rest of the world, its all power realism, getting more power and money...
568783
it's not limewire that's illegal\n\nit's taking movies and music without paying that's the illegal part