Külföldi torrent oldalak Could You Be Fined For Illegally Streaming Movies Or Tv Shows?

You can log on to countless websites and indulge your addiction to American TV series, or see the latest films without paying a penny.

But if you have a niggly feeling that all this “free” content is too good to be true, your hunch is almost certainly correct: most websites offering free, streamed programmes are illegal.

People have been accessing movies and TV shows for free for years, but the way they do this has transformed beyond recognition.

“Hard-goods piracy” in the form of DVDs has now all but vanished. Today the main facilitator of piracy is high-speed internet, with users either downloading or streaming the content.

Streaming allows users to view content whenever they like, without having to download and store the illegal file.

As a result, streaming sites are rapidly growing in popularity.

But there are grey areas. Even the legal owners of copyright material acknowledge that not all users are aware they are breaking the law.

We spoke to the UK Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact), a trade organisation established to protect and represent the interests of intellectual property, to get some answers.

How can you tell if the video you’re streaming is illegal?

Fact says that any site that “makes available or facilitates the availability” of rights-owners’ content without their permission is unlawful.

Although some streaming websites can look very professional and legitimate, even carrying advertising from recognised brands, the rule of thumb is that if they are offering content free of charge they are probably illegal, Fact says.

If I’ve been streaming movies on illegal sites could I be caught and prosecuted?

Ultimately, anyone accessing content from a pirate site is involving themselves in unlawful behaviour, often putting money into the hands of criminals.

In the past, listeners were fined for illegally downloading and streaming music from websites, but the owners of the rights to the music later abandoned this strategy. Instead they worked with legitimate sites such as Spotify where listeners pay to stream.

As far as TV or movies are concerned, Fact says no one in Britain has ever been fined or prosecuted for illegally streaming content.

Fact explained: “When it comes to catching those involved in piracy, it is not our strategy to prosecute the end user [people streaming films at home]. Our interest lies in identifying, disrupting and if necessary prosecuting the individuals who defraud the creative industries by knowingly stealing content – and who then make that content available through illegitimate means for their own financial benefit or kudos.”

There have been some high-profile convictions of British people who have been involved in the illegal distribution of films and TV shows in recent years. In 2012, Anton Vickerman, the operator of the site Surfthechannel.com, was found guilty by a jury on two counts of conspiracy to defraud and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. He was then ordered to pay back more than £71,000 or face a further 21 months in jail.

In August 2014, Philip Danks was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment for recording Fast & Furious 6 in a cinema, uploading it to the internet, and producing and selling copies to the public. And finally in February 2013, five men from the West Midlands were arrested by police in relation to the unauthorised distribution of up to 9,000 movies. All five men later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the film industry and are now awaiting sentencing.

Could my internet provider know I'm breaking copyright law?

According to Fact, internet providers are more aware of the issues and problems that rights-holders face, and are more willing to address them.

A number of popular movie streaming sites have been banned by major UK broadband providers. Users trying to reach these sites will receive an error message. Internet providers have joined forces with the creative industries to boost consumer awareness of legitimate services.

• The legal way to avoid paying the TV licence fee

Internet providers have voluntarily joined forces with the creative industries to boost consumer awareness of legitimate services.

They are rolling out an education awareness campaign to create wider appreciation of the value and benefits of entertainment content and copyright.

If I stream copyright material - knowingly or not - what's the worst that could happen to me?

Firstly, accessing illegal sites can leave your computer vulnerable to viruses and other harmful content. One study of the most frequently used illegal film and TV sites in the UK found that 90pc contained malware and other unwanted programmes designed to defraud users.

Fact said: “Viewers are making themselves vulnerable to all kinds of risks online, including ‘pop ups’, viruses, malware, spyware, identity theft and illicit material.

“In the longer term, the consequences to creative industries will be devastating. The UK’s creative industries employ 1.5 million people and account for about £36 billion in revenues. Recent research estimates that they are losing £500m a year due to copyright theft.”

“The jobs, livelihoods and skills of the many individuals employed are threatened. People must understand that if they do not pay to watch the films, TV and sport content they love, then they won’t be there to watch in the future.”