Linking to RS MP3s and downloads

What are the laws concerning posting a link to a download which may infringe copyright? For example, can members post links in my forum to Rapidshare downloads for albums and movies? I acknowledge that downloading movies and licensed music is infringing copyright, but is it illegal even though I am not hosting them?

 

thepiratebay was sued because of even allowing its users to search for download links let alone putting the links at their site.

 

I guess that answers my question, thanks for your reply.

 

warez-bb.org never got sued. They have 1.5 mill registered users. Depends where the hosting server is located.

 

It's ok, no law forbid that

 

The location of the server has nothing to do with it. It's about the laws in your own country.

 

good god!! location of the server has everything to do it it is the isp 1st which gets a notice and if they cut him off , case closed. and if they don't then the laws in his country comes into play if the other party tries to sue him which is very rare and only if he is is the major legue

@ op , go for .eu or far eastern hosting i know of some boards which were forced to move to other hosts because of the same issue and they were hosting from states side.

 

I hope you are not relying on this as a buffer zone between your illegal activities and a lawsuit.

If a copyright holder is out for blood, it doesn't matter where you are hosted.

 

what you might call illegal activities i might call the free nature of Internet and the right to share and i happen to live in a sane and in democratic country where laws are not written by corporates and their lap dogs ambulance chasers

but that was not the op's question, and his question has been answered to the point legally in net's terminology and not to one country's point of view.

if you want to debate it plz open a thread in general section and we can take it up, no use spamming here.

 

Get an offshore host and be happy

 

Thanks, I presumed this would be the best solution.

Do you know how much offshore hosting affects website speed?

 

you can easily find direct links to copyrighted stuff on yahoo answers and blogspot (maybe others as well). No one is suing them.

 

No, you came here hoping it would be the best solution and then waited for confirmation from idiots.

 

Dude, you are in the U.K ? Linking to illegal downloads and copy written material is illegal. Plain and Simple. Will you get sued ? Maybe , maybe not. Why take the chance ? There are plenty of legitimate ways to make money online.