Moving to Germany and wondering what`s the best way to stream your favorite videos? You should be careful when streaming or downloading torrents in Germany. Something good you can do in your home country may not be acceptable in Germany. Germany takes copyright very seriously. If you do it wrong, you can get heavy fines (>1000 euros) and have legal consequences. In this article, we are going to talk about some streaming platforms that are safe and legal for you in Germany. Hi guys, I just moved here from England – heard horror stories about people being penalized for illegal downloads here, I was wondering if it was just for torrenting or if youtube to mp3 is also illegal? We recommend GetSafe Legal Protection Insurance because it provides support in English and does not require paperwork. You can get a discount of 15 EUR using this special link. Is it legal to download YouTube videos? A lot of people do, but does that mean everything is fine? Here`s what you need to know. Torrenting itself is legal in Germany.
However, it is illegal to share copyrighted material through torrenting. This means that it is illegal for you to download movies, games, TV shows, software, or music protected through torrenting. This is because you actually share these documents with others while you are downloading. You should be aware that illegal downloads (torrents or otherwise) are punishable under German law. Such downloads can result in hefty fines up to and including imprisonment. Watching a movie on the Internet or downloading a song is often prohibited. Many online file-sharing services are illegal. German laws are strict and refugees should also be wary of abuse. Many Germans also fall into the trap: a movie is downloaded from a random site and watched in the evening after work.
Or you can quickly download the latest song from your favorite band to your phone. However, in many cases, this is illegal and people who use such websites can be prosecuted for copyright infringement. These laws also apply to students and visitors. Downloading YouTube is legally similar to recording a radio show. This is fine as long as you believe in good faith that the content has been legally uploaded. On YouTube, you usually are. If you violate the Terms of Service, YouTube has several legal options. Theoretically, everything from prohibition to civil action could be on the table. If you download other people`s videos and use their sound effects, you may be infringing someone else`s copyright. However, it is extremely unlikely that you will be taken for this, at least not by a German lawyer. What you are thinking of are cases where people have received cease and desist letters for torrenting music and movies. The problem with torrenting is that not only do you download (which may be illegal, but usually isn`t – it`s complicated), but you`re also helping to redistribute the content, and that`s the part that, if the copyright holder hasn`t given you permission, is definitely illegal.
Visitors (non-citizens) cannot expect clemency. In Germany, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Of course, most law firms are aware of the fact that students/visitors don`t have a lot of money. However, if violations are committed, you have to pay fines if they download something illegally. It is therefore better to be informed. German copyright law is extremely strict. It aims to protect creators such as writers, artists and singers from those who distribute their works without authorization and without payment. Do not watch pirated content on the Internet, neither streaming nor torrenting. If you want to enjoy movies or shows in Germany, do it with legal streaming sites. Make sure your Wi-Fi is secure and cannot be hacked easily. Let`s take a closer look at the legality of downloading YouTube videos. Please note that downloading or streaming pirated content is illegal in Germany, even if you use a VPN service.
We do not tolerate any infringement or restriction of copyright. Please respect the authors and respect the copyright accordingly. In the United States, copyright law states that it is illegal to make a copy of content unless you have permission from the copyright owner. I would also like to share the following websites, which can also be used for streaming legal media here in Germany. Streaming itself is not illegal in Germany. But streaming pirated content in Germany is illegal. For example, stay away from sites like Popcorn Time and 123movies. Instead, streaming is safe with sites like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.
There are different types of videos that you can legally upload to YouTube: Hello everyone, I am moving to Germany soon and I have a YouTube channel. I usually download sound effects from Youtube for use in my videos, but I wondered if it was illegal in Germany. I know people who have significantly reduced their fines after hiring a lawyer. However, keep in mind that you will also have to pay for your lawyer. In general, it is always good to have legal expenses insurance in Germany. In general, what costs money in a department store is not free on the Internet. Downloading a movie for free is almost always illegal, and not all movies currently shown in cinemas are usually legally available on the internet. So, if you`ve ever discovered that the latest Hollywood blockbuster is on the internet three days after its premiere, you should be skeptical.
It can be assumed that downloading music to a personal mobile phone always costs something – after all, musicians want to make money. The fact is that many law firms send out many of these warning letters without much review. I`ve heard that some law firms may not even have the rights to this pirated content. The warnings are very threatening and ask the recipients to pay the fine or they will be prosecuted (for even more money). Most people only pay the fine to avoid legal problems. Many people use third-party tools to download YouTube videos – but is it legal to do so? Copyright law in Germany is no different from copyright laws in virtually every country in the world; They are only more strictly enforced. In short, if the copyright holder – usually the person who created the thing you want to copy – allows you to use their content, it`s legal for you to use it. Only if you use it without their permission will it become illegal. We`ve found that uploading videos means you`re still violating YouTube`s Terms of Service. We also know that you are breaking the law if you upload copyrighted content.
But are there times when it is legal to download YouTube videos? That`s why Germans pay close attention to their Wi-Fi and passwords. You won`t want to get into these legal issues because someone hacks your Wi-Fi. Let`s talk about converting YouTube videos to mp3: you can watch any YouTube video that has been downloaded legally (i.e. allowed by the copyright holder). So an artist`s official YouTube channel is pretty good. A channel like “C0o0oL SonZ 4 My FrenZZ” with “videos” made up of Googled images is probably not so good. If you are allowed to consume media, you may also record it for your personal use (for example, personal video recorders and tape recorders). Don`t redistribute it.
Only streaming, i.e. simply watching or listening without saving the files, is usually not a problem. The German Consumer Protection Office offers information on its website: When streaming movies and music, you should use the big, well-known sites such as iTunes, Spotify, Netflix or Amazon [link]. Anyone who is afraid of having consumed something illegally can call the Office de la protection du consommateur for advice. The YouTube audio library contains music and sound effects that you can download and use in your own videos. In other words, YouTube and the artists who created these resources give you permission to use them. Some of the music is released under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license, which means you have to credit the creator in your video, but everything else you can use freely and legally, without attribution (although I usually add a credit even if I don`t need it). It is unauthorized distribution that is illegal. No one can tell if you`re listening to or uploading a song to YouTube. However, if you share it via torrenting, you can get caught (basically from honeypots) and face consequences. This article is adapted from Deutsche Welle`s article “Warning for refugees against illegal downloads”.
That`s probably why we haven`t heard any new lawsuits from YouTube against the operators of the tools.