Music, Film, TV and the Internet A guide for parents and teachers Music, film and TV on the internet – what you should know
There are many great Did you know? Copyright law applies ways of accessing music, Using illegal sites and film, TV and video safely file-sharing programmes to downloading and and legally online. can be risky streaming just as in the This guide aims to Using illegal file-sharing world of physical CDs programmes exposes users and DVDs. keep parents, teachers to the risk of unwelcome content and young people well- such as viruses, pornography informed on how to and violent images. File-sharing stay safe and legal when software can also compromise enjoying entertainment your privacy and security on the internet or via by opening up your computer and sharing what’s stored a mobile device. on it with the outside world.
You could be breaking the law and face consequences Copyright law applies to downloading, sharing and streaming just as in the world of physical CDs and DVDs. If you make music, film or TV content available to others on a file-sharing network, download from an illegal site, or sell copies without the permission of those who own the copyright, then you are breaking the law and could face serious penalties.
Using legal sites rewards creators for their work Copyright laws protect those who work in the creative industries, allowing them to be rewarded fairly and to continue to create the music, film and TV programmes we all enjoy so much. Staying tuned in while staying legal
Where are the best legal sites Is it OK to copy or rip music, to find music, film and TV? film, TV programmes or videos There is a wide choice of legal from a CD or DVD to my sites where you can download computer or media player? or “stream” (transmit over For music, making a digital copy the internet) music, film or TV of a CD you own for your personal content. Some are stores where use can generally be done without you buy downloaded tracks, legal consequences even though albums, TV shows, videos or technically it requires permission films to play on a computer, from the rights owners. However, a portable device or on a music distributing a digital copy on the player. Others charge a monthly internet or to a friend is different, subscription fee and let you stream and may result in legal action. from an internet-connected device For music purchased online, legal at any time. Some services provide music download services generally entertainment for free, supported allow you to make a copy as by advertising. a backup for your own use on other devices. If you’re looking for music, there are more than 60 services For film it is a bit more now available in the UK offering complicated. To ensure those millions of tracks at great prices. involved in making the film Look out for the Music Matters (from the actors and directors trust mark which indicates that to the sound engineers, costume a site is legal and you are buying designers and investors) can legitimate music there. A full list be properly paid there is extra of these services can be found protection on DVDs which makes at www.whymusicmatters.org. it difficult for people to copy or Another useful site is rip films. The film and TV industry www.pro-music.org which does recognise that people may provides links to hundreds want to save films they have of legal music sites worldwide. bought to different devices and is working to try and make this If you’re looking for film, possible. An increasing number www.findanyfilm.com is a great of DVDs and Blu-ray discs now place to start. You can search carry a digital copy for you to for many of your favourite films, watch on a portable device. selecting the format you’d like to watch them in, from DVDs Is it legal to make a copy and Blu-rays to internet services. of streamed music or film? There’s also a comprehensive list of links to legal film and TV services Usually, it isn’t. Legal streaming at www.industrytrust.co.uk. services like Spotify and YouTube give instant access to tracks, films and videos, often for free, but they do not usually allow you to “rip” the content to make a permanent copy. What you can and can’t do with music, film and TV online
Is it always illegal to use Does paying for my music or file-sharing websites and film guarantee that it is legal? It is illegal to upload or services? There are websites based overseas download copyrighted It is illegal to upload or download that sell tracks, TV shows and files without permission copyrighted files without videos very cheaply because they permission from the person are doing so illegally without paying from the person who who owns the rights. the owners of the rights. To help owns the rights. you stick with legal websites, File sharing services can in theory visit www.pro-music.org for be used legally, but in practice links to legal music sites and nearly all the content on them is www.industrytrust.co.uk for links illegal. If they are sites that aren’t to legal film and TV sites. Look clearly licensed by copyright for recognisable brands or, owners, then the only safe way specifically for music, look for to use them legally is to be sure any site that displays the Music you are sharing materials that are Matters trust mark. not protected by someone else’s copyright – such as music or Is it legal to download films you create yourself. entertainment from blogs? How are people who illegally In some cases, entertainment is file-share found out? made available legally from blogs. However, links from blogs to music, Generally, those file-sharing illegally film, TV or video stored on online do so on public networks. Every storage services – called device connecting to the internet ‘cyberlockers’ – are generally is assigned (usually by their internet not legal. In almost all cases, service provider) a unique number it won’t be legal to download known as an IP address. Details a song, album, film or TV of this unique number as well as programme offered for download data showing the material used via a link to a cyberlocker. illegally are either clearly visible on or can be easily obtained from such services. Music, video, TV and film companies can get a court order that requires ISPs to disclose customer details that identify infringers. The copyright owner can then take legal action against Find legal music and film the infringers. sites at www.pro-music.org and www.findanyfilm.com
Staying safe and responsible
Are there penalties for illegally Apart from copyright, what are Where can I get more information sharing films, music and other the other risks involved in the about the security risks of illegal entertainment on the internet? illegal downloading of film, music, file-sharing? Yes, there are potentially very TV and video? Your ISP can give advice serious penalties for those illegally Illegal file-sharing programmes about the effects of using sharing film, music, TV and video. and websites pose greater risks illegal file-sharing programmes. This is covered by civil law in to your computer or mobile phone There have been many examples the UK and may also in some than legitimate sites. Alongside of computers becoming infected circumstances be a crime. media files, users often unwittingly with viruses, malware and People who do it could face download viruses and spyware. spyware after people have legal action resulting in damages They can also inadvertently share used P2P networks for music and payment of costs. personal computer files, file-sharing. Many ISPs provide containing financial information, software that can protect Is the law changing on with other users, potentially people against these risks. downloading and file-sharing? putting themselves at risk from ‘Sorted’ is Childnet’s guide to identity theft. Also, some files are Yes, in addition to existing information security online for purposefully misnamed on penalties, a new law has been teens – www.childnet.com/sorted. passed by Parliament to protect file-sharing and peer-to-peer networks to trick people into copyright on the internet. From How can I prevent my internet downloading them. 2011, internet subscribers whose connection being used for illegal accounts have been identified Filtering tools that can block file-sharing? as being used for unlicensed offensive content on websites are There are some basic steps file-sharing will be sent a series not effective when these illegal you should take. Your ISP should of notifications by their internet services are used leaving children provide information on how service provider. These will advise at risk of exposure to unsuitable to protect your WiFi connection, that their IP address has been or harmful content. including details on how a used for unauthorised activity. password can be set up to If illegal use continues, legal Some peer-to-peer software limit access to your connection. action may follow. lets users “chat” with other file-sharers, most of them Parental controls on software strangers. For guidance about systems can also be activated chatting on the internet see to block access to specific Childnet’s www.chatdanger.com websites. It’s also a good idea website. to make simple rules for whoever is using your computer and your network, so they don’t upload or download illegally. Tips for parents and teachers
Parents Talk with children about Explore the web’s legal music, To search for specific film titles computer use film and TV services online visit www.findanyfilm.com. Are you aware of how your children There are more than 13 million You can also find a list of links are using the computer to access tracks licensed to legal music to all legal film and TV sites music, film and TV content? Talk services. A full list of services at www.industrytrust.co.uk. to them so that they understand worldwide is available at why it’s important to use legal www.pro-music.org and Check your computer and sites online. www.whymusicmatters.org lists wireless connection the services available in the UK. Are you aware of what is on Using legal sites helps to ensure You may want to use a service the family computer? Make sure that everyone who works to make such as iTunes or Amazon MP3, or it is protected against viruses a song, film or TV programme is one like Spotify which can supply and spyware. Ensure your wireless paid fairly for their work. It’s also music to the whole household. connection is secure with a worth discussing with them what password and encryption (such the consequences would be For film and TV, there are many as WPA). Talk to your family about for the whole family if they were services now available to stream or what they do online, and decide caught breaking the law. download films or TV programmes what protections are best placed online. These provide access to to meet the needs of the users thousands of titles, and the amount in your house. of programming available is growing all the time.
Teachers Debate with your students A topical subject for Teaching about music, How do they access music, the curriculum film and TV in the classroom film and TV and what does The ethics of accessing If you want to make sure that it mean to them? How do entertainment online is an excellent you are using music, film and TV people who create music or topic for discussion in a variety programmes legally in school then films get paid? What part does of lessons, such as Citizenship, check an online resource such as copyright play in the creation of ICT and Music and Film Studies. www.licensing-copyright.org. entertainment and in the different Many uses of copyrighted music, jobs in the creative industries? film and TV in the classroom for What do they think of all the legal teaching are allowed by exceptions online services on offer? Check in the law for educational out resources on copyright at institutions. www.childnet.com/kia/toolkit/ For resources to be used when teaching specifically about film visit www.filmeducation.org Jargon buster
Blogs IP address SSID Short for ‘web log’, a diary or Short for internet protocol, Short for service set identifier, journal published on the internet. a number – similar to a telephone a name or phrase that identifies Blogs are often used to post links number – that can be used to an individual wireless router. to files, which may be illegal identify the account holder of copies of music, films or other a computer at a particular point Streaming entertainment. in time when it is connected to Transmitting music, film or TV the internet. over the internet in real time so Cyberlocker it can be played on a computer A service for storing large quantities ISP or media player but is not stored of files on the internet. Frequently An internet service provider. on the device. used for sharing music, film and A company that supplies a TV illegally. connection, enabling access Uploading to the internet. Making available files stored Downloading on your computer or device to Copying or transferring files (music Peer-to-peer (P2P) other computers via the internet, tracks, films and TV programmes) A popular method of exchanging or storage services such as from another computer or the music, film or TV files directly cyberlockers. internet to your own computer. from one or more computers to another without it passing through Virus File-sharing a central point. A malicious program that can Allowing others, whom you ‘infect’ computers, replicate itself may not know, to access Ripping and disrupt normal functioning. information on your computer Making a digital copy of music via the internet, including music, or a film or video from a CD / DVD WiFi film and personal files. to a file, typically so it can be A way of transmitting computer transferred to and played on data through the air, without wires, Filtering a computer or portable media using radio waves. A way of restricting access player like an iPod. to certain content, websites WPA Router or functions online. Short for WiFi protected access, A device used to connect a security setting for wireless computers to the internet. computers and devices. Spyware A malicious program installed on a computer without the user’s knowledge, typically used to report information about the user and his or her activities online. About this guide and how to get further help
This guide has been Contact organisations: Pro-music written by children’s charity Childnet International Pro-music is a coalition of people Childnet International, Childnet International is a and organisations working across with support from non-profit organisation working the music sector. The international in partnership with others around alliances of musicians, performers, organisations representing music publishers, major and creators and producers the world to help make the internet a great and safe place for children. independent record companies in the music, film, television Registered as a charity in the UK and retailers across the music and video industries. (No 1080173), from January 2011 industry have joined forces to Childnet is the European promote the many different ways To order free copies of this leaflet, Commission appointed Safer in which people can enjoy music email: [email protected] Internet Centre for the UK. safely and legitimately online. www.childnet.com www.pro-music.org www.kidsmart.org.uk www.digizen.org Industry Trust for IP Awareness The Industry Trust was set up Music Matters by the film, TV and video industry The Music Matters campaign in 2004 to promote copyright and is a collective effort by artists and the positive role that it plays in all those who work in and around helping to protect creative ideas music to remind listeners of its and secure the livelihoods of the enduring value. Music Matters 150,000 people in the UK who highlights the value of music work in this area. The Industry and educates consumers Trust works to raise awareness on how to identify and obtain of the growing range of legal music from legitimate sources. film and TV sources available to consumers today. To help consumers make the ethical choice when looking for www.industrytrust.co.uk music online, a Music Matters trust mark has been developed to certify Find Any Film legitimate digital music services Findanyfilm.com is a website and leading music retailers. set up and funded by the UK Film Council and supported by www.whymusicmatters.org the Industry Trust. The site gives information about where, when and how people can watch, buy, rent and download films legally in the UK. It offers links to recognisable sites with a price comparison so that consumers can get the best deal. www.findanyfilm.com © Childnet International 2010, all rights reserved. Design and production: www.thinkerdoer.co.uk © Childnet InternationalDesign and production: 2010, all rights reserved.