Is it illegal to watch movies online?

basmic

http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/

By all means is PeerGuardian never going to fully protect you when using torrents and P2P sites/programs - but by God, it's good at what it does.

Put it this way, I don't download excessively and never had a "naughty boy you, for downloading xxxxxx on our network" from Virgin in all nearly 10 years I've been with them - admittedly, I've only been using PeerGuardian for the last 4-5 years.

PeerGuardian, a decent firewall like Comodo (with Defense+ and it's antivirus turned off) and a decent antivirus package like NOD32 all help to keep me safe behind my firewalled router.

waltermitty_2

A digression from the streaming films and more of a general p2p hypothesis, if you download ms (or other big name brand) products as a student/young person and become familiar with their usage then any future buying decisions (private or commerical) will be for the product you are familiar with and feel comfortable using. Again securing future financing, lets face it you dont want to appear incompetent in front of your subordinates challenging you over your use of word/excel. torrenting is a subliminal loss leader for MS !!
Anyway back to films, streaming is more of a moral issue than a legal one because the law aint beating on anyones door because they watched a second rate p1ss poor cam rip.
I have watched a torrented film (or few), I never had an interest in watching it (them) but thought I would try because it was free . The quality wasnt the best because it was a poor scene release.
I enjoyed the film bought the original (from tescos for the points...very mse) hence the artist profited when he wouldnt have otherwise.... and as an added bonus I donated to the torrent site to keep my ratio good...another revenue stream.. :A
Just thanked basmic because he is honest and acknowledges he is doing wrong thats why he tries to hide it, let him who is without sin cast the first stone....:rotfl:

SailorSam

Only if you're a politician and are claiming for them via your expenses.
But then you could say it was all part of your research.

RobTang

Soubrette wrote: »

The former does not come under copyright laws, it is against the terms and conditions of using the cinema.

Watching a friend's film at their house is not against copyright - in fact if anything it supports the argument that watching a stream is not illegal. The same goes for the argument of lending someone your film, this also perfectly acceptable and not against any law that I'm aware of (unless you are lending it to someone for a public performance) - it is the copying of the film that is illegal, neither of which are done in this latter part of your argument.

Sou

Going round to watch a film or getting lent a copy from a friend is very different from streaming under the copyright deigns and patients act, it differentiates between small one offs (ie the friend) and organisations (ie youtube etc). If both distribute the copyright material in any way, the former is legal, the latter is illegal.

Its not just the act of copying that is illegal, possession of the copy itself is illegal as well.

Just watching a stream probably isn't coverd anywhere, but you need a copy of the material to watch it which is the problem...

vaporate

Come on guys. It's only illegal because the government makes no profit.

I have no guilty mindset what so ever, while downloading 'illegal' movies myself.

isofa

^ What a great moral standpoint.

tweeter

Governments only standpoint is that they will support bankers to the exclusion of peoples needs - pace the cuts to come. Bankers bonuses are on the rise.

Dave101t

its illegal to download it, its not illegal to watch it on a live stream, tho it is illegal for them to be hosting it.

Esqui

vaporate wrote: »

Come on guys. It's only illegal because the government makes no profit.

I have no guilty mindset what so ever, while downloading 'illegal' movies myself.

I hope you're not being serious.

mr_fishbulb

Dave101t wrote: »

its illegal to download it, its not illegal to watch it on a live stream, tho it is illegal for them to be hosting it.

Where do you get that from? It is illegal to stream as you are copying copyrighted material.