House mates downloading films for free

leeroy10

Hi there

Posting on behalf of a friend.

Her house mates are downloading films from different torrentz. It’s illegal to be in possession of copyrighted content if you haven’t paid for it. She has tried to explain that to them, but they say that in Ireland individuals are not prosecuted for downloading and personal use of copyrighted content.

They share the same internet connection in the house and my friend doesn’t want to be associated with such practices.

Has anyone been through this before and should she be worried? Each laptop has its own IP, so I assume that’s her proof that she’s not participating in such activities should her house mates get into trouble.

Thanks.

Fr Tod Umptious

Well from the outside looking in each laptop does not have it's own IP address.

So if someone is tracking your friends roommates downloading they will not know or care about which device is doing it.

Anyway people download via torrent all day all the time in this country and have been doing so for years, and none are prosecuted.

Don't worry about it.

bluestrattos

As long as she's downloading just for private consumption it's fine. The problems starts when someone wants to make money out of it.

gizabeer

As above , don't worry about it , be grand

Danzy

nmm nnjk

leeroy10

Thanks so much for your answers. That’s reassuring.

Ash.J.Williams

is she good craic ?

Oranage2

Each computer has its own mac address though if they're using a shady VPN your friend could be in big trouble, tell her to tape under door, if there's a police raid they could shove blank CDs under her door and she'd be caught red handed

Ash.J.Williams

Have we quantum leaped to 2005

Markus Antonius

Downloading films for free is a really selfish and illegal act.

They should just stream them like I do

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134170#Comment_118134170

uhm - torrenting has seen a massive resurgence recently given the split of subscription based sites (mostly with prices on the rise)

Atlantic Dawn

If they were burning them on to DVD and selling them down the local market it would be serious.

Ash.J.Williams

Delete

leeroy10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134206#Comment_118134206

I thought the same, but it seems they have loads of films saved on hard drives. 🤷‍♀️Is that OK?

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134204#Comment_118134204

Someone in Cavan was at it in 2016, I remember nearly chocking laughing when I saw the story...

https://www.thejournal.ie/fake-dvds-raid-cavan-2900246-Jul2016/

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134228#Comment_118134228

There's probably plenty rural )and maybe some not so rural) people in their 40s and older would still buy dvds if they aren't used to computers or setting up smart TVs or have WiFi or whatever, I still see dvds for sale at some of the markets so someone must be buying them

Donald Trump

You wouldn't steal a car...........

leeroy10

These guys aren’t selling them from what my friend is telling me. They’re just collecting them. Not sure why.

super_furry

They wouldn't download a car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcOdNc_seyM

Mindy Kaling's thoughts on it..

gmisk

Video piracy is a crime do not accept it

leeroy10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134354#Comment_118134354

Thanks, tphase. The internet is not in my friend’s name. She is just worried that whatever her house mates download and store may get her in trouble as well because they share the same address and internet connection. It looks like she has nothing to worry about though.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134354#Comment_118134354

They were most likely seeding, companies go for seeders not leaches. I know loads of people who download everything, latest movies and TV shows, and have never been flagged.

leeroy10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118133949#Comment_118133949

Thanks for your reply. Does that mean that if for some reason those who download are black listed, my friend will be too even if she doesn’t do that?

whippet

reminds me of this

https://youtu.be/ALZZx1xmAzg

B.A._Baracus

is your friends name the one on the bill?

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118136628#Comment_118136628

In all likelihood none of this will ever happen. There is a legal potential for it and ISPs are supposed to monitor but with advent of streaming services they tend to turn even more of a blind eye to such things. It's the overquota stuff that interests them more.

You wouldn't steal a car and shouldn't steal a film but it's ok if we steal the music?!

Ironically that (in)famous anti-piracy ad ended up in legal licencing trouble with the song / background music creator as he had only agreed for a one-off usage of the track at a local film festival.

https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/01/29/3678851.htm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134254#Comment_118134254

With 3D printing advancement...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134354#Comment_118134354

There's no exemption for personal use just that's it's a massive waste of resources to persue such events.

If you're seeding out dozens of new films, ripped from the streaming service on release day, you may well be targetted

Effects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134273#Comment_118134273

Probably collecting them to watch 🤨

Afaik the law is that you can only be got for distributing the content

But it's too costly from a legal perspective to go after even 1% of 1% of 1% of people doing it that it's a moot point

Maybe if someone could be caught as the primary leaker but that would so hard to prove anyways

They did put one-off code ids into awards DVD-screener copies before (like copies sent to Oscar voters) but not sure if anyone was nabbed using that

As content is more quickly released onto legal streaming platforms these days after cinema release even DVD-screeners are pretty much gone

xabi

Are you and your friend one and the same?

leeroy10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118136679#Comment_118136679

No, the bill is not in her name.

Scuid Mhór

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118134273#Comment_118134273

If I had to hazard a guess, I would assume it's to be able to watch them... There's also a million reasons why it's better to have them downloaded than to rely on a streaming service where titles routinely disappear.

B.A._Baracus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118138756#Comment_118138756

Then she's all good baby :)

leeroy10

Thanks everyone. That’s a huge relief.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058216914/house-mates-downloading-films-for-free

nobody will come knocking, isp's and authorities know its occurring, but its highly unlikely anything will occur, move on with life, tell your friend, everything is just fine and ignore this behavior

leeroy10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118139702#Comment_118139702

Thank you so much. She’s delighted. One more thing not to worry about.