Distribution of copyrighted material, in any form, without the copyright holders consent is illegal. It doesn't matter how many people do or do not view it.GeekyGuy said:Though most folks seem to assume it is illegal, my gut would tell me it isn't. That being said, I don't believe it's a subject that has yet come up before the U.S. Supreme Court. In theory, however, so long as the file is being transferred and used privately for your own use, no copyright law has been breached. Since cloud computing is simply a virtual storage container, you're okay -- again, only if it's kept private for your use only. Uploading copyrighted materials is NOT illegal. Making them accessible to the public is.
twiztidsinz said:Distribution...
Sorry, no.GeekyGuy said:twiztidsinz said:Distribution...
I'm gonna stop you right there. Distribution implies making available to the public. Transference and distribution aren't the same things as it pertains to copyright law. Again, I don't believe the issue has been argued before the courts, but there are ample precedents to suggest he/she could legally transfer files digitally so long as they are kept private. Copyright law in its entirety rests on what is or isn't public domain. Now, there may, indeed, be specific terms laid out by the owner of exclusive rights regarding the matter, but generally speaking, you are entitled to transfer legally obtained creative works for your own private use.
Aijelsop said:Would sending a game backup in the mail be illegal? Idk just wondering.
He says "a", implying a singular item. Why would you mail a SINGLE game to yourself?GeekyGuy said:Aijelsop said:Would sending a game backup in the mail be illegal? Idk just wondering.
I'm gonna quote the original poster so we can all do this together...
I don't see anywhere in his/her question the suggestion that he/she wants to mail a back-up to another individual. He/she merely asked whether or not they could send a game back-up by mail. Personally, I've moved around a bit in my life, and therefore, I've had cause to ship my own things elsewhere. I'm fairly certain I was within my legal right to do so. If I wasn't, then that's news to me.