Piracy & Law

[Wictorian]

I don't think this is against forum guidelines but I'm scared making this post nevertheless. I think Legal questions aren't?

 

So my question is, would it be legal to distribute unlicensed content from a country where piracy is legal?

[shoutingsteve]

Everything about that sounds illegal and against forum guidelines.

[IPD]

-Legal and ethical are two different things

-Any online presence inquiring as to this subject can potentially be used as evidence against you, should the jurisdiction permit

-Unlicensed content produced in a country with legal piracy shouldn't have any repercussions that I'm aware of

-If you live in a country where piracy is legal, you should probably seek to migrate somewhere where your own IP won't be stolen

-If you live in a country where piracy is illegal and trying to distribute inside a country where piracy is illegal--via "software laundering" from a 3rd party country without such protections...you are still culpable under laws in your own country and in the country you are distributing within

 

p.s.

I am not a lawyer.  This is just my $.02 as a bystander.

[manikyath]

even outside of forum guidelines this is a very "thin ice" topic, it's essentially an example of laws conflicting across borders.

 

i believe a safe statement is that it would be legal within the country that does not make it illegal to do so, but if you would, for example distribute content from a specific entity, and you enter that entity's country, there could still be grounds for an arrest if that entity presses charges.

 

you can also be "internationally signed" for an arrest, and really... as long as the country where you reside doesnt feel like honoring that you'll be a free person, but as soon as you cross a border things may be very different.

 

what i'm saying is.. if you're gonna intentionally break laws of a specific country that you dont reside in, be aware that crimes committed abroad are still crimes in most courts' eyes, and you might be held accountable as soon as you enter ther juristiction.

 

having all that said.. Defenately not legal advice

[WereCat]

3 minutes ago, NastyFlytrap said:

Uhhhhh, i dont know of a single country where it is legal, so, what country do you mean?

It used to be legal to download content for personal use in Slovakia until EU started pushing... but uploading pirated content is something else entirely.

[IPD]

9 minutes ago, Dean0919 said:

is there any country where piracy is legal? I highly doubt that.

 

There's a difference between being piracy legal and being piracy laws neglected (some countries don't pay too much attention about piracy, usually poor countries).

Shanzhai is an applicable term here. 

[Wictorian]

I had considered adding this to the OP. So after a bit of googling I have found there are some countries where piracy is legal. I thought it was legal in the country I reside in (Turkiye) and turns out it is just not enforced.

 

But again, this doesnt matter as this question is hypothetical. @Arika Ssaid just because piracy is legal not the distribution is. I know, but lets just assume so. 

 

So as far as I understand it would be virtually impossible to press charges on you. But I think the people whom you are distributing content to are not as privileged as you, right?. 

[Dedayog]

35 minutes ago, Wictorian said:

I don't think this is against forum guidelines but I'm scared making this post nevertheless. I think Legal questions aren't?

 

So my question is, would it be legal to distribute unlicensed content from a country where piracy is legal?

The risks aren't worth it, IMO. I'll grab me some TV shows, but damned if I am going to share or seed or distribute.  Yeah, I'm that hypocrite. 

 

One is an email from AT&T saying stop this or we end your service, the other is a massive fine and potentially jail time.

 

Don't push it.

[Wictorian]

1 minute ago, Dedayog said:

The risks aren't worth it, IMO. I'll grab me some TV shows, but damned if I am going to share or seed or distribute.  Yeah, I'm that hypocrite. 

 

One is an email from AT&T saying stop this or we end your service, the other is a massive fine and potentially jail time.

 

Don't push it.

Ok dude I appreciate the replies but I am really not seeking legal advice. Just answer the question please. It is not like that I will do this and in that case why would I post on an internet forum?

[Wictorian]

1 minute ago, Dean0919 said:

Yeah same here. I live in a neighbor country to Turkey and it's same. It's illegal, but not enforced.

in that case you need to know the new name of your neighbour. Is this political?

[Dedayog]

12 minutes ago, Wictorian said:

Ok dude I appreciate the replies but I am really not seeking legal advice. Just answer the question please. It is not like that I will do this and in that case why would I post on an internet forum?

You're posting it here to get a feeling if you can do it or not and get away with it.

 

Do you think we're stupid?

  

 

[Wictorian]

16 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

You're posting it here to get a feeling if you can do it or not and get away with it.

 

Do you think we're stupid?

  

 

ok dude youre free to think the most fun thing. 

I believe we will get Half Life 3. 

[tikker]

If you upload it to a server outside your country then their laws would apply as far as I know and could thus get in trouble for breaking their copyright laws if you ever find yourself in their jurisdiction.

53 minutes ago, Wictorian said:

So as far as I understand it would be virtually impossible to press charges on you.

It may be harder, but I think they can request your country to cooperate with them and hand you over for violating their laws if they really want you. There could also be treaties your country is bound by.

56 minutes ago, Wictorian said:

But I think the people whom you are distributing content to are not as privileged as you, right?. 

That doesn't matter. If I rob Microsoft of a few dozen millions and distribute that to the less fortunate in my country I would still have committed and be charged for theft.

 

Not enforced doesn't make it legal or ok, it just makes it not enforced.

[Mister Woof]

Whatever you do, don't turn on your adblocker. That's 8th circle hell.

[Wictorian]

37 minutes ago, tikker said:

That doesn't matter. If I rob Microsoft of a few dozen millions and distribute that to the less fortunate in my country I would still have committed and be charged for theft.

 

Not enforced doesn't make it legal or ok, it just makes it not enforced.

I mean it is illegal to download unlicensed content.

[tikker]

1 hour ago, Wictorian said:

I mean it is illegal to download unlicensed content.

Sure, but, in the context of the quote, that isn't affected by how fortunate or priviliged the ones you distribute to or who download are.

[Wictorian]

13 minutes ago, tikker said:

Sure, but, in the context of the quote, that isn't affected by how fortunate or priviliged the ones you distribute to or who download are.

I mean they aren't privileged to freely download unlicensed content.

[Avocado Diaboli]

1 hour ago, Wictorian said:

I mean it is illegal to download unlicensed content.

Depends on your jurisdiction. I can legally download any audio or video media I want, regardless of licensing, since it's explicitly not illegal in my country for personal use. But redistribution is illegal.

[tikker]

21 minutes ago, Wictorian said:

I mean they aren't privileged to freely download unlicensed content.

Yeah you could see that as a privilege.

[wanderingfool2]

If it's legal in a country, then it's legal to do in the country

 

If it's legal in a country, it's still illegal to provide it to a country that it's illegal in.

 

Consequences can vary greatly.  Ultimately you rely on services that are likely global entities; which means they could go after things such as that.

 

e.g. Paypal or any other online payment processor won't touch you with a 6 foot pole if you openly infringe on international copyrighted stuff.

 

Essentially you land-lock yourself into your country.

[IPD]

13 minutes ago, wanderingfool2 said:

If it's legal in a country, then it's legal to do in the country

 

If it's legal in a country, it's still illegal to provide it to a country that it's illegal in.

 

Consequences can vary greatly.  Ultimately you rely on services that are likely global entities; which means they could go after things such as that.

 

e.g. Paypal or any other online payment processor won't touch you with a 6 foot pole if you openly infringe on international copyrighted stuff.

 

Essentially you land-lock yourself into your country.

Again, "legal" is not the same as "ethical".  And for the OP asking about the legality of it--that reeks of a lack of ethics.