Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California
I have a VHS copy of a film called "TheBrainiacs.com". I am wondering, since I already paid for that film, if I can legally download it free from the internet, maybe via BitTorrent? It's just for backup.
Asked on 8/22/10, 7:33 am
1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Stone
Law Offices of Michael B. Stone Toll Free 1-855-USE-MIKE
You paid the copyright on your copy. And yours would be an interesting question if all you do is download another copy of the movie from someplace. But you fail to apprehend the nature of peer-to-peer networking software like BitTorrent. When you use P2P software to download a movie or recording, you are simultaneously uploading the same movie to anybody and everybody. To the movie studios and record companies, you are not merely a downloader, you are a distributor, and they might well find you, and if they do they will sue you big time.
Answered on 8/27/10, 12:24 pm