Is It Legal To Download A File Off Youtube For Personal Use Using Media Converter?

[Tomo]

I really want to download stuff, but I want it to be legal. Please tell me if this is legal.

[Jesus]

If by personal use, you mean having the file available on your own hard drive for off line viewing, the answer is yes. If you by personal use, you mean sharing it with friends or posting it on your personal facebook page, then no, you can't legally do that without license from the copyright owner. Will you get caught? Not likely, only because the manpower needed to track down and enforce the law is under budgeted. But hey, every now and then someone gets nailed big time for the feds to set an example. That's a lottery you don't want to win.

[Ardon]

fineartvideo said: 1 If by personal use, you mean having the file available on your own hard drive for off line viewing, the answer is yes. If you by personal use, you mean sharing it with friends or posting it on your personal facebook page, then no, you can't legally do that without license from the copyright owner. Will you get caught? Not likely, only because the manpower needed to track down and enforce the law is under budgeted. But hey, every now and then someone gets nailed big time for the feds to set an example. That's a lottery you don't want to win. 47 months ago

[Derrall]

Content that is obtained from a legal source and used for personal, non-commercial use is legal.  This was decided in the Betamax case,   http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/B/htmlB/betamaxcase/betamaxcase.htm   which had to do with the rights of home recordists taping TV programs for personal use.  Such copying qualifies as fair use under U.S. copyright law. The same principles would apply to content taken from the Internet, provided the content is legal to begin with.   You'll get differing opinions on this.  If you listen to the MPAA, the RIAA, and probably the AAA, they'll tell you that it's illegal to copy anything, even if you're a cloistered monk working on an illuminated manuscript.  However, this is their opinion, which thus far has been unsupported by the case law.   If, however, you know that the content you're downloading is pirated from someone who would object to its use - e.g., a bootleg copy of a film currently being shown in theaters, you could be complicit in the crime, even though it's unlikely you'd ever be prosecuted for it.

[Markey]

In a general sense, yes. Content that is obtained from a legal source and used for personal, non-commercial use is legal.  This was decided in the Betamax case,   http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/B/htmlB/betamaxcase/betamaxcase.htm   which had to do with the rights of home recordists taping TV programs for personal use.  Such copying qualifies as fair use under U.S. copyright law. The same principles would apply to content taken from the Internet, provided the content is legal to begin with.   You'll get differing opinions on this.  If you listen to the MPAA, the RIAA, and probably the AAA, they'll tell you that it's illegal to copy anything, even if you're a cloistered monk working on an illuminated manuscript.  However, this is their opinion, which thus far has been unsupported by the case law.   If, however, you know that the content you're downloading is pirated from someone who would object to its use - e.g., a bootleg copy of a film currently being shown in theaters, you could be complicit in the crime, even though it's unlikely you'd ever be prosecuted for it. Sources: Cited IchtheosaurusRex 67 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.