[patmac]

Hi,
I'm being told by one of the offspring that Limewire is not illegal. Is this true?
Also, how can i check the computer for any other P2P/file sharing software he may have installed?
Is there any P2P/file sharing programs that are legal? I've heard of Torrents, same thing?
Thanks for your time,
patmac

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

[MysticEyes]

The legality of the program is not the issue. It's the sharing of copyrighted works that's the problem.

In the first trial involving the record-industry union versus an illegal downloader, a jury found Minnesota single mother Jammie Thomas guilty of infringing on music rights. While Thomas was illegally sharing 1,702 songs in her folder, she was only sued for twenty-four recordings. The price she’ll have to pay: $222,000, or $9,250 per song

[Hughv]

There's a list of the so-called "Top 10" P2P programs here:
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/p...ilesharing.htm

Mystic Eyes is correct that the programs themselves are legal. The odds of having legal trouble are quite low, but the illegal nature of many downloads and the increased risk of Viruses and Spyware must be considered.

[1002richards]

The cry will probably go up :"But everyone else does it" ... though that may be the case it doesn't make it right. You may have to increase your offspring's allowance/ pocket money to enable them to buy legal downloads.

Richard