Is downloading ever copyright infringement? I was under the impression that it is the uploading, i.e. distributing that is illegal, not receiving the copy.
I feel like some copyright holders would have you believe that both uploading and downloading copyrighted material is breaking the law. However, in practice, it's far more expensive to chase the downloading party as well as far less effective. Stopping the act of uploading stops the act of downloading in many cases.
> For example, you can use copyrighted work for the purpose of research, private study, education, parody or satire. You can also reproduce copyrighted work to ensure interoperability of computer programs or for backup copies.
I do the same with all media I access legally, some of which I definitely do not have a license for. At least I've never seen anyone provide me with a license for anything I am reading on this webpage.
It never really made sense to me to view copyright as dictating what you are allowed to do with something. People do try to turn it into that, but it makes far more sense if you view the act of publishing as the step that is protected by copyright.
Laws do differ on this point but if we want to have any hope of owning anything in a digital world we need to push back against the idea that copyright allows someone to dictate the lives of anyone using their intellectual property.