If you do not have legal permission, and you go ahead and copy or distribute copyrighted music anyway, you can be prosecuted in criminal court and/or sued for damages in civil court.
Criminal penalties can run up to 5 years in prison and/or $250,000 in fines, even if you didn’t do it for monetary or financial or commercial gain.
Having the hardware to make unauthorized music recordings doesn’t give you the right to steal.
Press Room
MUSIC Coalition Speaks Out on Supreme Court File-Sharing Case
- June 29, 2005 - Music United Coalition Launches Educational Campaigns To Keep Music Fans Legal When Downloading Music
- June 27, 2005 - Music Coalition Reacts to MGM V. Grokster Supreme Court Ruling
- February 28, 2005 - SESAC Joins Music Coalition – Including Recording Academy, AFM, AFTRA, CMA, GMA, Hip-Hop Action Summit, Rhythm & Blues Foundation And Others – To Ask Supreme Court To Overturn Grokster Case
- February 13, 2005 - Neil Portnow's 47th GRAMMYs Telecast Remarks
- January 26, 2005 - Internet Piracy Hurts Individual Creators, Not Just "Industries," Say the Entertainment Unions
- January 25, 2005 - Unprecedented Coalition Of Creative Artists, Private Property Advocates, Members Of Congress, U.S. Government, State Attorneys General, Family Groups, Retailers, And Digital Entertainment Services And Copyright Owners Ask Supreme Court To Overturn Appeals Court File Sharing Ruling
- January 25, 2005 - Motion Picture And Music Companies File Brief For U.S. Supreme Court Review Of Grokster, Morpheus Case
- January 25, 2005 - ASCAP Statement Regarding Today's Filing In Supreme Court Of A Friend Of The Court Brief In The Grokster Case
- January 25, 2005 - NARM Files Amicus Brief In Supreme Court Urging Reversal Of Decision In Grokster Case
- January 25, 2005 - The Recording Academy® And The Recording Artists' Coalition File Amicus Curiae Brief With U.S. Supreme Court In Grokster Litigation
- January 25, 2005 - Major International Rights Owners Urge U.S. Supreme Court To Reverse Grokster Decision
- January 25, 2005 - Statement of Del Bryant, BMI President & CEO on Supreme Court Decision to Hear Grokster Case