What if I get sued for file-sharing, but I didnt realize I was doing anything wrong or illegal?
There is an old law school saying that ignorance of the law is not a defense. Even if you really didnt know that unauthorized file-sharing of copyrighted works is illegal, you can still be held liable for copyright infringement. To allow otherwise would encourage people to remain ignorant of the law. However, it might be possible to assert that you are an innocent infringer (i.e., you were not aware and had no reason to believe that your acts constituted infringement) which can reduce the amount of money youre liable for to as low as $200 per work infringed. With all the publicity illegal file-sharing has received in the media over the past few years, courts may be unlikely to accept the innocent infringement argument since most people are probably aware (or should be aware) of the illegality of unauthorized file-sharing by now.
