What are the risks of watching streaming movies on pirated sites?

What are the risks of watching streaming movies on pirated sites?

Disseminate copyrighted material online for profit through portals that allow viewing in streaming of films and other content is punishable by law, both criminally and administratively. However, streaming can become an opportunity if there are portals that operate legally.

Many streaming sites have been obscured in recent times, precisely to ensure compliance with the law also online. Before discovering what the legal consequences of these operations are, it is good to provide some information on this topic in order to draw the necessary conclusions.

What is streaming

Talking about streaming means a flow of images but also sounds, which comes from a certain source, which can be found on the net. This is not an entirely illegal activity. It becomes so when the service is not paid for or does not comply with the standards established by the case law, which is still very sparse on the subject. However, this technology is often used for illicit purposes, such as the distribution of audio or video material that is covered by copyright: music, films and, recently, even football matches or other sports that are the prerogative of pay TV.

Thanks to the network speed that navigation Internet allows nowadays, this phenomenon is now constantly growing. It is therefore good to understand what the risks are related to viewing content covered by copyright and not only. It is also important to know if thefinal user occasional suffers the same consequences as the regular user. Finally, we will ask ourselves if there are sites that allow the viewing of streaming movies completely legal.

How a streaming site works

There are many portals that allow any user of the network to watch movies just released in theaters, or programs available on various pay TV. In most cases, the owner of the site makes a profit from this activity, as does the user who in this way has free access to movies and TV series directly from home.

There are numerous portals on the Internet that allow you, once you have registered, to look at streaming film just released in theaters or TV Programs. On these portals there are often countless advertisements and various links to sites that are not always safe. However, by equipping yourself with a good antivirus you can still achieve your goal. This is considered an offence. Let's see who is at risk in these cases.

Who is at risk for pirate streaming

It is important to clarify who, between the owner of the site and the end user, is exposed to criminal consequences o administrative, when you watch content on a site that broadcasts streaming illegally. The owner often fills his site with banners and advertisements from which he has an economic return, while the end user will simply enjoy the possibility of watching a film online.

On various online forums you can often find questions regarding the legal consequences of streaming. We can say with certainty that those who watch films or other copyrighted content on sites considered illegal do not actually risk much. In fact, the law does not currently provide for sanctions, even if the situation is slowly changing. An illicit act is committed, however, when a profit is made from streaming, as in the case of the owner of the site who, therefore, is the only one who runs risks.

What are the risks?

According to the law relating to the copyright, the penalty for anyone who installs equipment capable of decoding audiovisual broadcasts that have conditional access is imprisonment from six months to three years, or a fine of up to twenty-five thousand euros.

The same law, Furthermore, it punishes with up to one year of imprisonment anyone who transmits or distributes works intended for the cinema or television circuit. Therefore, anyone who opens a site that allows the viewing of protected films faces criminal penalties of imprisonment or fine.

For those who manage the site, the consequences could be even more serious. In fact, given that on the sites of streaming usually there is a lot of advertising which creates an income for the manager, he may also face tax crimesIn this case, we are within the consequences foreseen for themoney laundering, which carries a penalty of up to eight years in prison.

As far as the 'final user Instead, the law does not provide for well-defined sanctioning provisions. Those who view a video without downloading it to their own device and without sharing it in any way do not face any criminal or administrative sanctions, since this is an activity not regulated by law. For these cases, it is possible to apply a restrictive rule only for those who decide to extend, in an analogical way, a certain content downloaded from the web.

So, it will only be a crime to download content available in streaming and share it on other sites. This act violates the law on copyright, which will always be the responsibility of the site manager. The user who, instead, commits the act only for personal and non-commercial use, faces a paltry administrative penalty and the confiscation of the downloaded material.

Are there any sites that display legal streaming content?

However, there are websites that allow you to watch movies and other content in streaming, completely free of charge and without violating the law in any way. Everyone can access this type of solution, enjoying the best TV series and other programs, right at home.

Talking about streaming, it is not always necessary to think of an illegal operation. In fact, on the net it is possible to find many portals that allow the viewing of films and other programs in high definition, and not in poor quality, as often happens with pirate sites.

There are now many apps and websites that allow you to view content such as TV series and recently released films without breaking the law. These are completely legal paid alternatives that combat the widespread phenomenon of piracy.

If you want to view content completely free but always legally, the site https://www.filmamo.it allows this function, without incurring any type of violation of the law, neither criminal nor administrative: in fact, it is a Legal Streaming Site Comparator which guides you in choosing the portal from which you can watch the desired film.

Sources and Insights

• What are the risks of downloading and watching pirated films?: In-depth analysis by the Vice.com editorial team
• What is the risk for those who watch a film in streaming?: Article by the magazine “La legge per tutti”
• Streaming Movies Here's Where To Watch Them It's Legal: Analysis by Attorney Paolanti of the Cataldi Law Firm

• How to know if a website is streaming it's legal: Tutorial by the Telebari editorial team.