I just retrieved some music from the Internet. I know its illegal to copy CDs but is downloading Internet music also illegal?
Yes, the unauthorized duplication and distribution of sound recordings is a form copyright infringement. Online piracy is increasing as many people use the Internet to illegally distribute digital audio files (e.g., MP3 format). The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) monitors the Internet daily and scans for sites that contain music, forwarding violation reports to many institutions including Cornell. If you reproduce or offer sound recordings for download without the authorization of the copyright owner, you are in violation of federal copyright law and could face civil as well as criminal penalties. Placing statements on your web site, such as “for demo purposes only” or that the sound files must be “deleted within 24 hours” does not prevent or extinguish this liability. For more information about sound recording piracy, see the Copyright Infringement section of the Information Technology Rights and Responsibilities web site. Q: I have reason to believe that a student i
