The only way the RIAA can get you is if they do a search for one of "their" songs (just like you do) and find you as a source for downloading.

They then browse your computer to see what all you have to offer. If you are making a lot of copyrighted material available for others to download, you may wind up getting a certified letter in the mail.

Allowing the files to be downloaded from your computer by others is not unlawful. You are not obligated to protect "their" songs from other people. However, if you have a large number of "their" songs on your computer, they may feel confident that they can convince a judge that you did not buy all of them and put them on your computer, but instead, downloaded (copied) them illegally.

They can't get you for downloading files from their own source computer, because they would be knowingly making those files available over a P2P network.

I've wondered if they can trace people not just by doing searches and getting an uploader's IP but through setting up their own ultrapeers and monitoring traffic that way. Since we can browse these ultrapeers, I wonder if we should not trust any that don't have any music files of their own and remove them from the list?

Couldn’t all this be fixed if ISPs and P2P networks didn’t keep records of their clients as to how many songs they download, share, and what not? I think with all the record-keeping its almost borderline privacy issues. Being the b*tch I am I would sue back and not settle. Than again I don’t share music. I only download once in a while for DJ’n and what not.

This "They will get you FUD" is utter nonsense. It doesn't even matter whether you're talking about file-sharing or real crimes. Either stop spreading such nonsense or show us your RIAA paycheck. Either use Gnutella or don't but don't scare people away. Planet earth (the funny blue sphere you're living on) is a bit larger than the USA.

In all honesty, should you share any copyrighted material that you don't have the rights to share they can bust you for it. Simply put, don't share copyrighted material, and keep your numbers low. I share about 50 songs, all of them are my own compositions, as well as a couple of short stories and poetry, so I have no fear. Plus I download stuff that I have on cassette tape or cd when I don't want to take the time to burn it to my computer. You just have to be careful and not be greedy. On a side note, record sales have not dropped since filesharing occurred...go figure?!? Anyway that's my two cents... BTWRight now there is a lawsuit against limewire(according to yahoo news.)

Fulgar.

Can you explain this? Can anyone else verify it? If it's "legal" to share CDs I've bought then I'm home free.

Eliana