ABA Family Legal Guide

Computer Law

Computer Copyright and Trademark Issues

Copying Software and Downloading Entertainment

What if I use peer-to-peer services to share music with my friends?

If the music being shared is protected by federal copyright (which it very likely is), you might be running afoul of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Remember that Napster was a peer-to-peer sharing service.

In addition, the federal 1997 No Electronic Theft Act makes it a crime to exchange copyrighted materials for money or other copyrighted materials. Punishments range from up to one year in prison, for exchanging a copyrighted work worth more than $1,000, to up to six years in prison for the second offense of distributing ten copies of a copyrighted work worth $2,500 or more.