Apr 11, 2008 4:36 pm US/Eastern
Downloaders Tricked Into Illegally-Obtained Music
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The music industry has gotten serious about cracking down on illegal downloaders.
Many consumers are making sure they go to sites where they buy music legally but there are some sites that can be deliberately misleading.
Heidi Heineau has put together a massive collection of music for her iPod.
"I've downloaded thousands of songs," she said.
Each time Heidi makes sure she pays for each and every song.
"I want to make sure that I'm abiding by the law, absolutely," she said.
But experts warn that paying a service does not necessarily guarantee a legal download.
"There's a real potential there for consumers to be misled," said David Sohn with the Center for Democracy and Technology.
The Center for Democracy and Technology uncovered dozens of sites promising everything from legal access to billions of songs to unlimited downloads for either a monthly or lifetime flat fee.
But upon investigation…
"What we confirmed is that none of these sites have actually gotten the licenses, the legal rights to distribute this music," Sohn said.
So if the music isn't licensed what are you actually paying for? Technology consultant Dan Ackerman evaluated three of these services.
"It's important for consumers to be careful about joining sites like these because the Recording Industry Association of America and other groups are actually going out and suing people who are downloading music illegally," said Dan Ackerman with CNet.
To make sure you're actually paying for legal downloads, experts say to check with the
Recording Industry Association of America, or
MusicUnited.org.
"I've seen on both these Web sites a list of licensed music distribution services," Sohn said.
Heineau says she'll now be more careful about where she buys her music.
"I will certainly be sure that it's from a reliable source," Heineau said.
That's one way to avoid hearing a sour note.
Click here for a list of some popular legal online music sources.
Read:
Music Download Warning List
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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