Jan 02, 2014, 06:44 am
If the file is uploaded without permission from the creator, then it's illegal to download (in the US). This goes for virtually all movies/music/games/software etc. unless it's public domain, creative commons, open source, or otherwise"authorized", meaning it's uploaded by the creator or with permission from them. Even those files would be copyrighted; they're just legal to distribute.
The way that they (mainly US Copyright Group, ACS:Law, RIAA, and MPAA) find out is by monitoring bittorrent swarms. They connect to a swarm, which is made up of all the people sharing a specific torrent. Then they wait for someone to upload data to them. Keep in mind that when downloading torrents, uploading is done automatically. I've also heard of another method: waiting for people to download fake data from them. Once this happens, they log their IP address (a unique ID for an Internet connection, which is needed for people to upload/download) and send an e-mail to their ISP, like Verizon or AT&T, using the IP address as (the only) evidence. Then, the ISP will usually forward the letter to the customer currently registered with that IP address.
The letters typically demand up to X thousand dollars and threaten legal action if no payment is made.Although it is designed for the falsely accused,www.beingthreatened.com is a website that offers invaluable information on this"mass litigation"process.
The way that they (mainly US Copyright Group, ACS:Law, RIAA, and MPAA) find out is by monitoring bittorrent swarms. They connect to a swarm, which is made up of all the people sharing a specific torrent. Then they wait for someone to upload data to them. Keep in mind that when downloading torrents, uploading is done automatically. I've also heard of another method: waiting for people to download fake data from them. Once this happens, they log their IP address (a unique ID for an Internet connection, which is needed for people to upload/download) and send an e-mail to their ISP, like Verizon or AT&T, using the IP address as (the only) evidence. Then, the ISP will usually forward the letter to the customer currently registered with that IP address.
The letters typically demand up to X thousand dollars and threaten legal action if no payment is made.Although it is designed for the falsely accused,www.beingthreatened.com is a website that offers invaluable information on this"mass litigation"process.