[jeffool]

In the US copyright includes the right to make copies. As an individual you do not have the right to freely make copies for yourself. That's reproduction, and is expected to get you in trouble. The idea that "it's legal to download, just not upload", is a defense that's been long been claimed, but to my knowledge, has never been tested in court.

To be fair, though, I believe they (the RIAA, MPAA) haven't tested that case either. Maybe they're not 100% sure either.

Now, in Canada? I believe private-use MUSIC downloading is legal. (Due to shenanigans involving the fine levied on blank media made for the purpose of burning music. Basically, Canadians already pay the fine for music piracy, so, they get to do it. That's my understanding.)

[DanBC]

In the UK it's not legal to download, but the only damages are the costs of one copy of the item. Doing all the paperwork and filing all the legal stuff is time consuming and expensive, thus companies don't bother with it just to recoup £14 for a movie.

But if you're uploading then the costs are the cost of the media * number of people in the swarm. And going after those people has -they hope- a chilling effect, preventing people from doing it.

This is "civil law" (A UK lawyer probably knows the correct terminology.)

If you're infringing copyright as part of trade -selling bootleg DVDs on a market stall, for example- it becomes a criminal offence, and is enforced by police and trading standards officers.

[polshaw]

Got a citation on the damages amounts? Haven't heard that before.