# Is downloading from Kazaa going to get me in trouble? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096 "2003-09-27T02:24:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/1 "2003-09-27T02:24:57Z")
I was going to download a few files from Kazaa, but a friend told me that there are fines being handed out left and right to people who are caught downloading. Is this something I should actually be worried about, or is it just a rumor that’s going around? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/2 "2003-09-27T02:36:25Z")
People are being sued for downloading music, mostly because it’s illegal. It’s unlikely that you’d get in trouble for just a few files, but why take things that don’t belong to you in the first place?\* \*Don’t argue until you read the copyright law. ---
**Author:** ![kgriffey79](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/3 "2003-09-27T02:40:44Z")
They are going after the people that are uploading(making files available) a LOT of files. You would be okay. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/4 "2003-09-27T03:15:25Z")
Besides, all the spyware and pop-ups from hell will make your Internet browsing rather unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/5 "2003-09-27T03:25:23Z")
Kazaa Lite my friend, Kazaa Lite. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/6 "2003-09-27T03:33:08Z")
It’s Kazaa Lite I’ve got, plus a few pop-up blockers and spyware-digger-outers just in case. I’m not going out there to download, upload, and distribute a million files. I just don’t want to buy a CD if there’s only ONE song I like, and paying 7$ for a single isn’t going to happen either. Madonna has enough money now. I do buy CD’s, though, when I like most of the songs or to support a talented local artist. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/7 "2003-09-27T03:51:30Z")
I can see clearly into the future… I see a moderator reading this thread… I see a locked thread… ---
**Author:** ![kgriffey79](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/8 "2003-09-27T04:01:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by roxx222 \* > \*\*It’s Kazaa Lite I’ve got, plus a few pop-up blockers and spyware-digger-outers just in case. > > I’m not going out there to download, upload, and distribute a million files. I just don’t want to buy a CD if there’s only ONE song I like, and paying 7$ for a single isn’t going to happen either. Madonna has enough money now. I do buy CD’s, though, when I like most of the songs or to support a talented local artist. \*\* Madonna does has enough money now, but do the people who work in the factory that actually make the CDs? ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/9 "2003-09-27T05:25:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by roxx222 \* > > I’m not going out there to download, upload, and distribute a million files. I just don’t want to buy a CD if there’s only ONE song I like, and paying 7$ for a single isn’t going to happen either. Madonna has enough money now. I do buy CD’s, though, when I like most of the songs or to support a talented local artist. \*\* Hey, it’s just a **little** crime, no? And I’m fully justified because I don’t want to pay for it. Seriously, If you’ve got a Mac, do the iMusic thing. 99¢ a song is about right. I don’t miss the small amount, and I sleep well at night, thanks. Don’t know how long it will take, but some smart cookie is going to count iMusic’s 10 million downloads at a buck a pop and think the idea will do even better in the PC world. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-downloading-from-kazaa-going-to-get-me-in-trouble/204096/10 "2003-09-27T05:30:40Z")
We take intellectual property rights seriously. We do not permit threads about how to avoid getting caught when stealing music. It’s illegal, and that’s all you need to know. This thread is closed. bibliophage moderator GQ