Is it illegal?

[doglegdon]

I just wondered if any of you could enlighten me about the following:-
I'd like to download bike videos from places like U-Tube etc and have found a really great, online media file converter and downloader. These would be entirely for private entertainment at home, maybe show a few mates over a "coldie" in the evenings etc.

http://www.mediaconverter.org/index.php

However, after the music download debacle of recent years, I don't want to be jailed, fined or generally 'botty whacked', for being ignorant of the law.

Anyone have experience, knowledge or advice on this subject?

Cheers,
Don

[Whealie]

The issue is whether or not you should be buying those videos from elsewhere.

If you are talking about a few vids that individuals have made themselves and posted up on you tube then I think you'd be OK. If you are talking about pirated videos copied illegally, then no.

The quality of vids on you tube would not be good enough to watch on a TV though.

[Lumiya]

You'll find that real player allows you to download flash videos as well...

As long as you aren't putting them back onto the web or publicly publishing them again then you'll be fine.

Currently the ONLY action being taken by MP3/GAME/VID downloaders is via P2P networks as it shares the program at the same time as downloading it so they're being taken to court for the sharing aspect and not the downloading

[Dangerous_Dave]

Videos downloaded from youtube aren't very good for watching on a TV, no where near high enough quality.


But as for the legal side, if it's on youtube, then you're allowed to watch it. As long as you don't sell it or anything like that it's fine.

[doglegdon]

Thanks for the heads up folks. After MOM's Dakar video thread, I was just thinking it'd be nice to have a small collection of the clips they have on U-Tube. Useful stuff also, like "how to change a tyre, get out of deep sand, do a wheelie...." (not that I really need that with the Adventure though!), etc etc".

[Snaphappy]

I have seen the same clip posted by more than one person would it not be easier making a youtube clip of your own with everything you want to keep under your login name then its easier to find it again with no legal issues.