Is file-sharing illegal?
Whether file-sharing is illegal or not depends on exactly what is being shared and under what circumstances. There are certainly legal uses for file-sharing software. For example, some musicians chose to make their music freely available on file-sharing networks to try to generate interest in their music. It is also legal to share works that are in the public domain. However, it is generally illegal to use file-sharing software to trade copyrighted music or other copyrighted works (e.g., movies, software, photographs, etc.) without the copyright owners permission. In other words, it is the copyright owner (whether a relatively unknown independent artist or a record company which owns the copyright to a very well known artists recordings) who is legally entitled to decide whether to make their works freely available through file-sharing. Many copyright owners chose not to do so since they do not receive any payment from file-sharing of their works and since people obtaining free copies
