I know I will get murdered, but this is a serious question (for serious business). I hear so many posters (and people in the real world) talking about watching such-and-such movie online, at this site, this site, this site. These movies they're talking about are still in theaters. Yes, I know it is illegal to share the movie, but is it illegal to go to those sites and watch those movies?

Murder me, go ahead.

no it is not illegal to watch them online. most of these sites are based outside of the U.S. so copyright laws are much different. If you watch a streaming version of a movie online, nothing wrong with it. BUT, if you download it to your computer, that is technically illegal

Just like porn, don't these movies leave cookies or some type of temporary content on your machine?

You can get spyware and other malicious material from these sites. I know I have. I used to watch movies online all the time, but now I just watch them at hulu or youtube

ernest_t_bass wrote: Just like porn, don't these movies leave cookies or some type of temporary content on your machine?

yeah but who cares, you can watch the video, just like you can watch porn, as long as you are not hosting copyrighted material, you should be fine

i have a mac, so i have never had a problem with virus's or spyware

Regardless of the legal status of doing so unless you're the person who put the files on the internet you're unlikely to face legal retribution for it.

exactly

ernest_t_bass wrote: Just like porn, don't these movies leave cookies or some type of temporary content on your machine?

Just delete the cookies afterward.

Ctrl+Shift+Delete= Clear Private Data (cookies, history, etc) in Firefox.

or

Ctrl+Shift+P = Private browsing/porn mode.

What is "illegal":
-Sharing copyrighted content
-Downloading copyrighted content

What is punishable:
-Sharing copyrighted content

Technically when you're "streaming" a movie it's getting saved to your computer, but your computer probably purges it as soon as you close out your browser. Either way, you're being too overprotective. As long as you're not downloading TV shows/Movies/Music on BitTorrent and leaving it open to seed, they aren't going to come for you.

Even seeding on Bittorrent they're unlikely to come after you unless you consistently are the person putting out the files in the first place.

Quit being a puss

The original poster did not ask about the potential of them "coming for you". He didn't ask about possible legal retribution.

He asked about the legality of watching movies online. Why are so many folks giving advice about getting caught when that was not the question?

I Wear Pants wrote: Even seeding on Bittorrent they're unlikely to come after you unless you consistently are the person putting out the files in the first place.

That is the crucial point. The recording and entertainment industry has nearly unlimited money and teams of lawyers. But there is a reason that they stopped trying to go after every individual person who violates copyright laws downloading music or videos. They can't keep up with the sheer number of people doing it or the volume at which it takes place. Those with the capability and knowledge to download or watch movies without paying for it will keep doing it and there really isn't much the industry can do about it.

Con_Alma wrote: Why are so many folks giving advice about getting caught when that was not the question?

Because the question he asked doesn't have a clear-cut answer. If you speed and nobody sees you, you're still breaking the law.

dlazz wrote:

Con_Alma wrote: Why are so many folks giving advice about getting caught when that was not the question?

Because the question he asked doesn't have a clear-cut answer. If you speed and nobody sees you, you're still breaking the law.

I completely disagree. The answer is very clear.



It either is or it is not illegal to go to a site and watch a movie that has just been released. it would take someone knowing or quoting the law and applying his question as posed.

I agree that if you speed and nobody sees you, you are still breaking the law. The law doesn't stipulate being visible by another as a condition of legality.

Con_Alma wrote:

dlazz wrote:

Con_Alma wrote: Why are so many folks giving advice about getting caught when that was not the question?

Because the question he asked doesn't have a clear-cut answer. If you speed and nobody sees you, you're still breaking the law.

I completely disagree. The answer is very clear.

I agree that if you speed and nobody sees you, you are still breaking the law.

It either is or it is not illegal to go to a site and watch a movie that has just been released. it would take someone knowing or quoting the law and applying his question as posed.

I agree that if you speed and nobody sees you, you are still breaking the law. The law doesn't stipulate being visible by another as a condition of legality.

I'm about 90% sure it IS illegal (but again, not worth their time since those sites are normally based in other countries)

it is illegal to host the site on your website or to put the movie on the internet...if you watch it, its not illegal unless you download it to your computer, hard drive, ipod, etc

as for cookies, it may say you visited the site, but since the movie is streaming, there is no evidence you watched it

It is legal to watch movies online. It is only copyright infringement if you redistribute the material. So the website is breaking the law, but you aren't. The same goes for downloading movies. The only reason that downloading copyrighted material with bittorent is illegal is because you are uploading to others while you download, which is redistribution.

The ONLY thing that you can do that gives you a chance of getting caught is to download with bittorent. And the odds of getting caught downloading copyrighted material through bittorent are less than the odds of getting in a car crash.

And for those interested in this topic, the way they catch you downloading is nothing that technical or hard to do. During a download on the bittorent network, you connect with other peers to download the parts of the file that they have, and others connect to you to get the parts that you currently have. Most bittorent clients allow you to view the ip address of those currently connected to you. So all someone like say New Line Cinema has to do is have someone get on the Pirate Bay or Btjunkie etc... and start downloading The Return of the King. Then they will instantly be able to see all the ip's of everyone connected to them. Just record the ip's and send letters of complaints to their ISP's and boom, that's it. You're ISP will then be on your ass so that they don't get sued.

Obviously, I'm pretty experienced with the bittorent world, and there are ways to greatly decrease the chances of getting caught. I'm not sure what the rules are on this board about talking how to pirate copyrighted material so I'm not going to say here. Shoot me a PM if you must know.

It's sort of related.

http://www.eff.org/issues/file-sharing
http://www.eff.org/wp/how-not-get-sued-file-sharing

namod65 wrote: It is legal to watch movies online.

I'm pretty sure it is illegal to download copyrighted material, but it is rather difficult to prove...especially when the original files are hosted in different countries.

dlazz wrote:

namod65 wrote: It is legal to watch movies online.

I'm pretty sure it is illegal to download copyrighted material, but it is rather difficult to prove...especially when the original files are hosted in different countries.

it is illegal to download, but in order to watch these movies, you dont have to download them, so as he said it IS LEGAL to watch movies online, they are STREAMING

UA5straightin2008 wrote:

dlazz wrote:

namod65 wrote: It is legal to watch movies online.

I'm pretty sure it is illegal to download copyrighted material, but it is rather difficult to prove...especially when the original files are hosted in different countries.

it is illegal to download, but in order to watch these movies, you dont have to download them, so as he said it IS LEGAL to watch movies online, they are STREAMING

And as I ALREADY STATED...when you stream things it saves them to your hard drive. That's why when you watch a youtube video, let it completely buffer, navigate away from the video and then come back to it, it'll buffer instantly. Granted, the temporary file will probably get deleted as soon as you close your browser.

yeah so as long as you x out your browser your fine