Lots of people use third-party tools to download YouTube videos—just is it legal to do so?

Sometimes, the case is clear-cut (for example, downloading TV shows or music videos is illegal), simply what nigh other types of content? Is it always illegal to download YouTube videos, or are there occasions when y'all're allowed to do so?

Let'south take a closer await at the legality of downloading YouTube videos.

What Does YouTube Say Well-nigh Downloading Videos?

It's essential to differentiate the two sides of the question. On the one hand, there's the question of how YouTube views the situation. On the other, there are the national laws of the country in which the downloading is taking place.

Then, we'll start with YouTube. When you picket a video on YouTube, y'all concord to abide by the visitor's terms.

Hither'south the of import role of YouTube'southward Terms of Service:

Y'all are not allowed to [...] access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, modify, modify or otherwise use any office of the Service or any Content except: (a) as expressly authorized by the Service; or (b) with prior written permission from YouTube and, if applicable, the respective rights holders.

There's no room for estimation; YouTube explicitly forbids you lot from downloading videos unless yous have permission from the visitor itself.

Can YouTube Ban You for Downloading Videos?

If y'all contravene the Terms of Service, YouTube has a range of legal options bachelor to it. Theoretically, everything from a ban to a civil lawsuit could be on the tabular array.

That said, YouTube has never sued anyone for downloading content. Several years ago, the company did consider suing 1 of the largest YouTube video downloaders (YouTube-MP3.org) for alienation of the Terms of Service, but backed down later the site refused to budge.

Interestingly, YouTube-MP3.org somewhen shut downward in 2017 after Sony Music and Warner Bros launched a copyright infringement lawsuit against information technology.

Is Downloading YouTube Videos Confronting the Police?

youtube downloader

We've learned that YouTube doesn't like video downloaders, even if it may exist happy to plow a blind middle to them for now. Only what nigh the law? Are you committing a criminal offense if you download a video from YouTube?

Every bit is often the mode—it depends. Permit'southward look at how U.s. law views the downloading of YouTube videos.

When Is Downloading YouTube Videos Illegal?

In the United States, copyright constabulary dictates that it is illegal to make a re-create of content if you do not have the permission of the copyright possessor.

That applies to both copies for personal use and to copies that you either distribute or financially benefit from.

As such, downloading TV series, movies, sports clips, or any other copyrighted content on YouTube is breaking the law. Information technology puts you lot at risk of facing a criminal trial. The situation is the same beyond the U.k. and the Eu.

In practice, the gamble of facing a criminal lawsuit—especially every bit an individual—is extraordinarily slim, but you are breaking the law regardless.

We've established that downloading video ways you lot're always breaching YouTube's terms. Nosotros also know that if you download copyrighted content, you're breaking the law. But are there any times when information technology'southward legal to download YouTube videos?

Yes! Yous tin utilize third-political party YouTube downloaders to download videos for which the copyright laws do not utilise, or videos for which the copyright grants you the correct to reproduce the video.

At that place are a few dissimilar types of videos you tin can legally download on YouTube:

  • Public domain: Public domain works occur when the copyright has expired, been forfeited, been waived, or been inapplicable from the commencement. No one owns the video, meaning members of the public can reproduce and distribute the content freely.
  • Creative Commons: Creative Commons applies to works for which the artist has retained copyright, but has given the public permission to reproduce and distribute the piece of work.
  • Copyleft: Copyleft grants anyone the right to reproduce, distribute, and modify the work, every bit long as the same rights apply to derivative content. Read our article explaining copyright vs. copyleft if yous would similar to learn more.

With a bit of digging on YouTube, yous can find lots of videos that fall nether one of the in a higher place categories. Remember, downloading the videos volition nonetheless break YouTube's Terms of Service, simply will not found a criminal act.

The Moral Argument of Downloading Videos

Of course, in that location's also a moral question surrounding the process of downloading YouTube videos.

In much the aforementioned style that sites similar MUO rely on ads to go on providing readers with free content, many YouTube personalities live off their channel revenues.

Past downloading the video and sharing information technology with friends offline, you deny the creator clicks, and by extension, reduce their income. In an extreme state of affairs, the creator could sue for loss of earnings.

Are the Authorities Fighting a Losing Boxing?

A quick look at any search engine will reveal a bevy of sites, tools, and apps that let y'all download YouTube videos.

It'southward probably why we've not heard from YouTube about any new lawsuits confronting the tools' operators. It appears that the company has decided that the difficulty of creating legally watertight cases against the sites is more trouble than information technology's worth.

Anecdotal testify fifty-fifty suggests many of the YouTube downloader sites are being immune to run Google Ads. Maybe Alphabet is more concerned with monetizing those sites' vast traffic than penalizing them.

Every bit was the case with piracy in the 2000s, the whole matter is developing into a game of whack-a-mole betwixt the apps/sites/tools and TV networks and record labels. As before long as one site is forced offline, a dozen new offerings pop up in its place.

Allow's epitomize what we've learned:

  • Downloading videos from YouTube is in breach of YouTube's Terms of Service, and the visitor could sue you lot.
  • YouTube has shown no desire to penalize users for downloading videos.
  • Downloading copyrighted videos without permission is a criminal act.
  • Some videos with the correct licenses are legal to download from a criminal standpoint.

And all of this probable applies to all the other video sites out in that location, and so exist careful.

12 Video Sites That Are Improve Than YouTube

Here are some alternative video sites to YouTube. They each occupy a different niche, but are worth adding to your bookmarks.

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Virtually The Author

Dan Price (1606 Manufactures Published)

Dan joined MakeUseOf in 2014 and has been Partnerships Director since July 2020. Achieve out to him for inquires about sponsored content, affiliate agreements, promotions, and whatever other forms of partnership. You tin likewise find him roaming the show flooring at CES in Las Vegas every year, say howdy if y'all're going. Prior to his writing career, he was a Financial Consultant.

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