Legal Alternatives for Online Music and Media

The internet hosts a wealth of information, and computer users can find virtually anything from term papers to entertainment on the web. While many files, including music, movie, and software files, are freely available on the internet, the unauthorized downloading of copyrighted material may well constitute copyright infringement if done without the permission of the copyright holder.

Nearly all current content available on the internet is subject to copyright protection from its moment of creation. The best protection from any claims of copyright infringement is to not download or share copyrighted content unless it is from a source where you know that the copyright owner has given his or her permission for you to download or share the content or is allowable under the exceptions to the U.S, Copyright law such as fair use. Unless you have explicit permission from the copyright owner to copy, download, or share the material, you should consider it copyright protected and refrain from downloading it or sharing it. There are many sites on the internet that offer the opportunity to legally purchase (and in some cases download for free) music, movies, and games.

EDUCAUSE has compiled a web site, https://www.educause.edu/focus-areas-and-initiatives/policy-and-security that references sources of legal alternatives for downloading media content.

Additional Helpful Resources:

The Motion Picture Association of America Copyright Education Website

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)