Can you get in trouble for downloading UNLICENSED anime?

Question

For those who dont know, unlicensed is where the united states have not bought rights to the show/movie yet.

Answer 1

First off, you will never find a completely unlicensed show online for download. Unlicensed means no one holds a copyright. That means I can download it, take it somewhere, and claim it as my own. I can steal someone's work and sell it for billions if I please. No one would put an entire show of their own, high quality work up.

What you're likely looking at is a show that in Japan is popular, but in the US, it has yet to be redubbed, put on new DVDs, and hit stores. If you download these shows, you are going to be breaking Japan's illegal downloading laws. What you can be downloading might have DVDs, might be on TV, might have soundtracks and posters and tons of things. And you downloading it can get you into major trouble, because with the internet, there is no "well I'm in this country, your country laws don't apply to me" secret rule. I remember downloading Gravitation when I was 15 or so because I figured since it was from Japan, and in Japanese, it was legal. Well, not only do they sell the redubbed version here, but in Japan it is a very popular show and I could've gotten caught. Very unlikely but I could've.

What I would do is just be careful. If you /really/ need them, don't get them from somewhere like Limewire or Kazaa. Those get busted the most. Get it from a torrent. Get a masking software like PG2. Good luck.

Answer 2

yea you COULD but the odds are so small its probably not even worth worrying about. People download brand new hollywood movies everybody and less than 1% ever get caught. I dont personally do it but I know many people who do and nobody gets caught.

You have a better chance of getting struck my lightning than being sued

Answer 3

Technically,yes.

But you will not be perused for downloading it,as the record companies and such aren't interested.

You can do it with no negative consequences,ans I always do.

Answer 4

That's a copyright violation at least, so yes.  (RIAA has lost only 1 copyright violation case.)