Is Downloading MP3 From File Sharing Programs Legal?

Is Downloading MP3 From File Sharing Programs Legal?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ricky_Lim]Ricky Lim

File sharing programs such as KaZaa, Ares, iMesh and Limewire have never been more popular. They are pretty controversial as well. You may have heard of the countless lawsuits against them by music records companies and the MPAA.
So is downloading MP3 from these programs legal?

How Do File Sharing Programs Work?

Modern file sharing programs connects users directly to each other allowing them to share and download files. They are also called P2P, or peer to peer programs. Unlike old file sharing programs such as Napster who ran all connections through their servers. That is also why it is sometimes difficult to determine exactly who is downloading what.

File sharing programs by themselves are not illegal. In fact, they are legitimate uses for it. For example, it is used by academy institutions and universities to exchange research data and cross learning. They are also used by musicians and artists to showcase their talents by distributing their music free through file-sharing networks.

Many people are confused as to what is legal to download and what is not. The problem stems from the fact that it is so easy to download illegal MP3 and other illegal files from these file sharing networks that people often do not know they are actually violating copyright laws.

They do not have sufficient knowledge of copyright laws. Current copyright laws allow an individual to rip MP3 provided he or she has brought a copy of the CD. However, he or she cannot give, sell or upload MP3 to others. Beware due to MP3 piracy, record companies have recently developed technologies that do not allow you to rip mp3 from CD. Add to that, they are dozens of websites on the internet proclaiming to be able to download mp3 and movies legally when they are not!

How to determine whether you can download MP3 legally?

Technically, any MP3 posted on file-sharing programs without the permission of the artist is illegal. Most commercial MP3 on file sharing networks are illegal, so my advice would be to avoid them altogether. There are few
reputable MP3 download sites on the internet you can trust. The most famous of all is itunes from Apple. Napster has a subscription service per month that allows you to download more than two million mp3 legally. Technically, you do not own the mp3 so do not give, sell or upload to file sharing networks. For more information on where you can find more free legal mp3, you can visit my blog.

Ricky Lim blogs about current [http://infoknowledge.info/freemp3/]free MP3 download sites and [http://infoknowledge.info/freemp3/category/mp3-converters/]MP3 converters. His Blog is part of the Infoknowledge [http://infoknowledge.info]blog network.

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Free MP3 Downloading - Music, Movies, Games, Software etc

Free MP3 Downloading - Music, Movies, Games, Software etc
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gaz_Hutchinson]Gaz Hutchinson

With the price of audio recordings today, there’s absolutely nothing like free music. Free MP3 music has been all the rage, heightening music-mania all over the world. Of course there have been some controversies involving the questionable legality of peer-to-peer sharing of free MP3 files, e.g. the issue on Napster, but all that has been remedied when intellectual property laws were modified to cover copyrighted materials online. So now, sharing free MP3 music and downloading them from legal websites is completely legit.

So what’s a free MP3 file anyway?

MP3 actually stands for MPEG -1/2 Audio Layer 3 and it is also referred to as MPG3, MPG-3, MPG Level 3, MPG Level III, MPEG 3, etc. Essentially, it is an audio file compressed into tiny bits using the same fractal-based algorithms for compressing photographs into JPG format.

Like JPG, free MP3 files have a slightly loose format. This means that the final sound of a free MP3 file is not quite the same as that of its source. However, the difference between the sound of a free MP3 file and that of a conventional WAV file are usually too subtle for human discernment. In fact, only particularly trained listeners can distinguish the slightly different sound of a free MP3 file from that of its source. This makes a free MP3 music perfect to listen to even when you’re at home, in the subway, or while driving.

Where can I get free MP3 music?

The Internet is practically crawling with websites that offer free MP3 downloads. There’s MP3.com, of course, which is perhaps one of the largest online music community in the world. The site features free MP3 album streaming and videos. You can choose from different genres from rock/pop and alternative/indie to hardrock/metal and hip-hop, and even to soul, urban, latin, and more. You can also check out some cool MP3 players so you can play all your free MP3 music downloads anywhere you want, anytime you want.

Then, there’s Nullsoft’s popular Winamp free MP3 collection. Not only does Winamp feature free MP3 music, but they also let you download their free MP3 winamp player, complete with ultra-phat skins and visualizations. Aside from that, Winamp also features some great plug-ins to give your free MP3 player some fabulous additions, like an i-pod interface, language packs, midi control and more.

Another great site for free MP3 music is Epitonic. In addition to their wide variety of free MP3 files, this site offers their very own Epitonic radio where you can listen to cutting edge music of your chosen genre.

There are dozens and dozens of sites that offer free MP3 for the music fan. Just be careful though because there are as many websites of questionable legality as there are legitimate sites.

Gaz Hutchinson

For a legal free mp3 download site go to http://www.mp3downloadz.co.uk

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Visit: MP3DownloadNet it is a New Mp3 Site for Music and Movie Flash