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Legal Alternatives for Downloading Digital Music and Videos
Many artists offer free downloads of their music or clips from their videos on their websites. Note, however, that while it’s OK for you to distribute the site links, it’s generally not OK to distribute or make the music itself available to others through your own site.
A list of popular, legal, fee-based and free alternatives is available to you at: http://www.educause.edu/legalcontent
Important Note: Before signing up for any digital music or video service, carefully read the site’s privacy policy and/or terms of use statement to be sure that the service is authorized to distribute the material that it makes available to you. Both free and fee-based software may utilize unauthorized distribution channels for copyrighted material, such as the Gnutella file sharing network. Buying a license to file sharing software does NOT necessarily give you legal access to the music it makes available, and it almost never allows you to further distribute that music. The following excerpt from Music, Etc.’s privacy policy is a good example of what to look for to determine if your fee does or does not include any rights to the music itself.
- The Music, Etc.™ download system (the "Service") allows Music, Etc.™ members ("Members") to access and download content (including, without limitation, music files, movies, games, software and/or pictures) generally available for downloading over the Internet via the Gnutella Network (collectively, the "Download Content"), through use of our proprietary Download Software. Music, Etc. ™ provides the Service and associated Download Software only and is in no way involved in the provision of, and makes no representation as to the legality of, Download Content. The Service and Download Software are made available to our Members, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
