Internet
Internet piracy is the downloading or distribution of unauthorized copies of intellectual property such as movies and TV shows via the Internet. Illegal downloads occur in many forms including file sharing networks, pirate servers and websites. Each file posted on the Internet can result in millions of downloads. Hard goods pirates also use the Internet to sell illegally duplicated DVDs through auctions and websites.
Piracy Eco-System
The primary source of newly released pirated movies comes from thieves who camcord films in cinemas. Illegally recorded movies are then sold to individuals who distribute them around the world through computer servers known as "Topsites." The extraordinary speed and power of a Topsite triggers the avalanche that is global Internet piracy.
What are Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing Services?
A peer-to-peer service is a network that enables computers to connect directly to each other in order to distribute and copy files. Software programs utilize these networks to search for and trade every kind of file. Examples of P2P services include BitTorrent, eDonkey, Gnutella and DirectConnect. These programs can turn your computer into a directory and distributor of an unlimited variety of illegal material, viruses and worms.
When you download a file from the P2P services, you're not just receiving stolen goods. You're now a dealer, responsible for all the violations that others are enabled to commit as a result. Besides putting yourself at risk of the legal consequences of illegally distributing movies, you're opening your computer up to potentially dangerous situations.
What's it to Me?
If you use peer-to-peer file-sharing services, you are almost certainly exposing your computer to harmful viruses, worms, Trojan horses and annoying pop-ups, and you are inviting strangers to access your private information. Since many P2P applications require users to upload — often invisibly — content at the same time they are downloading, you may be exposing yourself to civil or criminal liability as well. And in a larger sense, you are threatening the livelihoods of thousands of ordinary working people, as well as potentially reducing the number of films that are actually made. Last but not least, you're cheating yourself out of the movie experience. Is it really worth all that to save the price of a movie ticket?
Find out more about P2P File Sharing – What’s illegal, what’s at risk, and how to stay safe
