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Downloading & Copyright Law: Music, Videos & Games

What is downloading?

Downloading is the process of taking data from the internet and storing it on the hard drive of your computer or on another digital device – it’s often referred to as ‘copying a file’. Music, video, games and ringtone downloads are particularly popular with young people.

If we take music as an example, rather than buying a CD you can go to a website like HMV or iTunes and browse their music catalogue. You then pay to download music tracks and albums (as an MP3 file or other format) so that you can listen to them on your computer, portable music player or mobile or burn them onto CD if permitted by the service. Other services also offer a wide range of music, games and other downloads for your mobile, PC or Mac.

Downloading is different to streaming, which is where you listen to music over the internet (on sites like Last.fm or Spotify) but you don’t save it on your own devices for future use.

What do I need to know about downloading and copyright law?

Young people are increasingly accessing and sharing music, video, games and other exciting content on download websites, social networking websites and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. It’s great to see such creativity and self-expression but your kids might not understand the legal, safety and security implications of downloading.

In fact, research by Ofcom shows that two in five 12-15 year olds in the UK think that downloading shared copies of music and movies shouldn’t be illegal.

It’s therefore crucial that you help your kids to understand who owns the copyright and what they can legally do with content they’ve downloaded from the internet, as well as how they can minimise security risks, such as viruses.

“While there is a vast amount of content that can be accessed for free online, for many it is not clear what can be obtained legitimately.” – Lucinda Fell, Childnet International

According to the Intellectual Property Office, copyright “protects written, theatrical, musical and artistic works as well as film, book layouts, sound recordings, and broadcasts…You should only copy or use a work protected by copyright with the copyright owner’s permission.”

In terms of digital content, that means you and the rest of your family should only use legal download and streaming services that have obtained permission from the people who created the content, such as musicians and producers.

Young people are often attracted by the “free” content offered by file-sharing or peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Here, users download P2P software on to their computer so that they can link to a network and swap music or other files with other people. Distributing or copying copyrighted materials, like music tracks or games, without the permission of the creator is likely to be an infringement of copyright.

In addition, there are some security issues associated with P2P networks. People could send your child files containing viruses or adult content, for example, or even access personal files on your computer if you don’t have the right protection in place.

Where social networking sites like Bebo, Facebook and MySpace are concerned, it’s usually OK for young people to watch videos and listen to songs but if they copy (download) content like a music track on to their computer or another device and share it with others, or use it themselves (for example, as a backing track in a video they make), there could be legal implications.

Media companies, such as record labels and games producers, take copyright infringement very seriously. In the UK, many of them are working with Internet Service Providers and the government to clamp down on this practice and have already taken action against a number of file-sharers.

As a parent, you’re responsible for what your child does on the internet so make sure you discuss this very important issue with your son and daughter.

You should also bear in mind that they could download inappropriate and harmful content, such as explicit music tracks or erotic film footage.

What can I do about downloading and copyright law?

  • Talk to your son or daughter about the dos and don’ts of downloading – ask them where they download music, films, games and other content and find out how much they pay for the services they use
  • Recommend that they download content from established online brands like iTunes or the Vodafone Shop – you could direct them to lists of legitimate download services contained on the websites in the ‘Information & support’ section below and encourage them to only use these sites
  • Explain that online activity is not necessarily anonymous – a copyright owner might be able to get a court order to force an ISP to identify users who infringe copyright
  • Make the most of Parental Controls and Safe Search to help protect your child from inappropriate online content – but remember, they might not be 100% effective and they aren’t a substitute for parental supervision
  • Check the browser history on your family computer regularly and look for any desktop icons you don’t recognise
  • Check the ‘explicit music’ policy of any service your kids are using – all tracks should be identified as containing explicit lyrics before they are downloaded
  • Make sure your home computer is fully protected, with the latest anti-virus software, firewall and anti-spyware products in place
  • Encourage your child to create and innovate – content licensed under ‘Creative Commons’ licences can often be enjoyed, remixed and redistributed
  • Read our articles about games, inappropriate & harmful content, mobile costs, music, social networking and video

Where can I go for more information and support about downloading and copyright law?

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How old are your kids?

What you need to know to get started

  • 5-7 years old

    Technology is part of your child's life before they start primary school. They're probably using the computer, the internet and interactive TV for fun - watching programmes on the CBeebies channel and website or taking part in the Club Penguin chat rooms...but they still need adult guidance and supervision.

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  • 8-11 years old

    If you have 8-11 year old children, your house is probably full of technology - PlayStation, Nintendo, iPod...the list goes on. In fact, research shows that 8-11 year olds in the UK have an average of four media devices in their bedroom.

    This is a crucial age for young people to embrace new technologies and develop their ICT skills both at home and at school...and it's a crucial time for you to take control when they start exploring the digital world as well as the real world.

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  • 12-14 years old

    They're at secondary school and growing up fast. It's a time of change and their digital world might seem as important as the real world to them. They might spend their evenings on Bebo, Facebook or MySpace ; watching videos on YouTube and uploading their own for others to watch; or doing research for their homework.

    You want to encourage their technology and social skills, of course, so it's useful to understand what they're doing with technology and to get involved with it.

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  • 15+ years old

    Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they're tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter profile; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.

    It's all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.

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