Thursday, August 6, 2009

Online Dangers when Downloading Free Music

By Susan Reynolds

Downloading music programs has become very popular in recent years. There are free programs that allow you to obtain MP3 downloads with which you can obtain free music. This does not come without risk. Online privacy can be at risk with the use of this type of file sharing and damage to your computer could occur. Not only that, but you put yourself at risk when you download this music. The RIAA and the MPAA are on a campaign to find persons who are illegally downloading copy-righted music from the internet. You run the risk of being sued for illegally downloading this music and file sharing. There is also a move afoot to go after people who down movies illegally.

There are several other issues of concern in addition to the risk of lawsuits by RIAA and MPAA for copy-right infringement. There are other hidden dangers in using free MP3 downloads and using their file share software. Some of top dangers are enumerated below.

Adware- Adware is used by large media companies and is installed in most file sharing programs. Banner ads for file share software are provided by media companies as a way to generate profit from the free music that is being downloaded. The downside for the consumer is that adware will overload the computer with unwanted advertising and can cause problems for the computer's system.

Spyware- Free music download programs often come installed with Spyware. Spyware, as the name suggests, gathers information about what websites you visit. It can also perform actions without your knowledge, such as changing files and system settings. Spyware if often an inevitable part of using free music downloads, so consider the problems this could cause to your computer before using these programs.

3) Spoofing ? You can become a victim of spoofing when you are in the process of downloading a song. Instead of receiving the song you think you are getting, you may get a corrupt music file instead. If you receive a 20 to 30 second music loop that plays over and over for a period of three to four minutes, you are probably a victim of spoofing. There is talk that the RIAA might be using this spoofing tactic to stop people from using illegal downloads.

Pornography- Pornographers will often disguise their software as free music downloads or even as free games to entice you to click on the link. When you click on one of these files, you are directed to a porn site. This can be a very serious issue for those who have children that are using file sharing programs.

Summary: If you want to download music online, there are ways to do this legally. There are some sites that charge very reasonable fees for down loads and you don?t run the risk of copy-right infringement lawsuits by the RIAA and MPAA. There are also some perfectly legal free download sites available. You should educate yourself on the subject of music downloads before proceeding to protect yourself from legal issues and to protect your computer from hidden dangers.

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