Sites like zamzar.com and mediaconverter.org are they legal?

Question

Hi,

I just want to ask that is it legal in UK to make a site like zamar.com or mediaconverter.org which allow user to download and converter youtube files some of them can be copyrighted and on youtube site they say that users are not allowed to use a technology that can download videos from youtube.

My question is not about user who downloads or convert stuff my question is about providing a service like this.

Thanks.

Answer 1

According to YouTube's terms of service, downloading any video outside the embedded player, for any reason, is prohibited.

If you offer a site that allows people to upload any video object for transcoding, you'll be fine. It's not your responsibility that others violated YouTube's TOS.

However, if you offer a service that downloads YouTube's video objects automatically, or explicitly encourages or assists in downloading YouTube's video objects, you could be held accountable.

Litigation would be an absolute stretch, but there's a very slim chance you could be charged for breach of contract — YouTube's TOS. You agree to be bound by the terms by accessing the site; you breach those terms by downloading video objects.

Realistically, if you were to start such a service, and YouTube were to find out, not much will be done about it. They would simply send you a cease-and-desist order (or UK equivalent) which basically tells you to stop. If you stop, that's the end of it. If you don't, they may get a bit more pushy.

Don't think that if you do the slightest thing wrong, the cops will bust down your door and throw your *** in jail. It's nauseating how many people take the Internet way too seriously, thinking the authorities are watching their every move, and will send them to prison for the slightest little fault.

YouTube owns zero copyright on the videos posted there. The copyright belongs to the producer of the video. YouTube prohibits downloading only to protect their own asses. Copyrighted (infringing) material isn't allowed on YouTube anyways. They're not going to start breaking skulls over something they have no rights to in the first place.

Bottom line. Start your service. Just make it clear that infringing material is prohibited from the service. It's not your fault if you tell someone not to do something, and they do it anyway.

Answer 2

Converting YouTube files is legal in most place. I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

Answer 3

Here is a step by step guide to rip DVD and convert any videos to other video formats and audio formats for iPod touch/classic/video/nano, iPhone, Zune, PSP, video capable MP3 players, etc. Meanwhile, it can also support output almost any audio/video format including Video format (H264, MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, RM, 3GP, flv, SWF, mpeg-1, mpeg-2, VCD, SVCD, DVD, etc.) and Audio format (AC3, AAC, MP2, MP3, MP4, RA, WMA, etc.). It is easy-to-use and the converting speed is fast!

http://www.freedvdripper.org/dvdvideogui...

Also, you can google some other software:

http://www.google.com