I have genuine X Files season 1 thru 9 on DVD. I attempted to convert them to MP4 so I could store them on my AppleTV, but soon discovered that it would take me ages to do them all. Does anyone know where I can download the entire 9 series legally? Anyone stumbled across this at all? A search only listed illegal files.
The illegal files you mention are completely legal as long as you own the original disc. a law regarding backups or something.
Perhaps he doesn't want to download them via torrent or other frowned upon means. ISP's based in the UK occasionally flag people for doing this. It doesn't happen often but it does happen. I guess you could always buy them via iTunes if they're available.
Grey area in most countries, certainly been proved not so in the UK. It's for destructible media, DVDs are not considered destructible (yeah, I know... but still).
I would never use a file-sharing service for commercially distributed media. It's way too dangerous, a friend of mine got busted (1500 Euro fine!) because he downloaded half an album on bearshare. It was kinda his fault though (lol bearshare + current pop hits, what was he thinking?).
I've got no idea, but here in Germany there are guys knocking on your door and they'll take the PC with them. Files can be restored easily except you physically destroy the hard drive (which is a little suspicious ). The PC will be gone forever (stored in a warehouse as evidence until disposal in 10+ years) with all the files on it, that would be my main concern even though I have backups of my personal data.
That delete-within-24h thing is a myth. Also, IANAL but I think downloading backups, even if you own the original media, is technically illegal - you have to back the stuff up yourself (Not that anyone could prove anything afterwards...). So in my opinion your best bets would be iTunes if you have cash to spare, or just suck it up and rip tose DVDs. Yeah, but if you do it properly (e.g. thermite :flamethrower they can suspect all they want but can't touch you due to lack of evidence. I hope you're speaking of off-site backups? Else they'll just take your backup media along, too... They usually take anything that looks vaguely computer-y, including video games, MP3 players, more than likely even your cellphone.
Same risks as if you don't delete it in 24 hours, basically. If an illegal download is tracked to your IP by one of these shady-as-fuck "media defender"-type companies, your ISP will be subpoena'd, they'll subsequently have to hand over your name and address, and you'll get letter through the post. Typically, they don't actually take you to court - they'll threaten to do so and to ask for damages of $50,000 per track or something daft like that, but ask to settle for a comparatively tiny sum (a few thousand dollars or so; an amount small enough that it's cheaper than decent legal counsel but enough to put the fear of God into people who hear about it). So, whether or not you deleted said content within a 24 hour period after downloading it is essentially irrelevant to the matter. Even if you did end up in front of a judge, there's no law that says you're allowed to pirate something for 24 hours! (Apparently that's a surprisingly pervasive leftover from the early www warez scene, where they copied each other's boilerplate legal warnings. As I'm fairly certain they all found out, it was a load of nonsense.) As for what the chances are of this happening in the first place... pretty remote. It's more of a media scare campaign than a practical attempt to halt piracy.
