Lots of people use 3rd-political party tools to download YouTube videos—only is it legal to do so?

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

Let's take a closer wait at the legality of downloading YouTube videos.

What Does YouTube Say Most Downloading Videos?

It's essential to differentiate the two sides of the question. On the one mitt, in that location's the question of how YouTube views the state of affairs. On the other, there are the national laws of the state in which the downloading is taking place.

So, nosotros'll outset with YouTube. When you watch a video on YouTube, you agree to abide by the company's terms.

Here'south the of import part of YouTube's Terms of Service:

You lot are not immune to [...] access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, modify or otherwise employ whatsoever part of the Service or any Content except: (a) every bit expressly authorized by the Service; or (b) with prior written permission from YouTube and, if applicative, the respective rights holders.

At that place's no room for interpretation; YouTube explicitly forbids y'all from downloading videos unless y'all have permission from the company itself.

Can YouTube Ban You for Downloading Videos?

If you contravene the Terms of Service, YouTube has a range of legal options available 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 visitor did consider suing i of the largest YouTube video downloaders (YouTube-MP3.org) for alienation of the Terms of Service, but backed downward after the site refused to budge.

Interestingly, YouTube-MP3.org eventually shut down in 2017 after Sony Music and Warner Bros launched a copyright infringement lawsuit against it.

Is Downloading YouTube Videos Confronting the Law?

youtube downloader

We've learned that YouTube doesn't like video downloaders, fifty-fifty if it may be happy to turn a blind centre to them for now. Just what nigh the law? Are y'all committing a crime if you download a video from YouTube?

Equally is often the way—it depends. Let's look at how US law views the downloading of YouTube videos.

When Is Downloading YouTube Videos Illegal?

In the United States, copyright police dictates that it is illegal to make a copy of content if you practise not have the permission of the copyright owner.

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

As such, downloading Television receiver series, movies, sports clips, or any other copyrighted content on YouTube is breaking the law. Information technology puts you at risk of facing a criminal trial. The state of affairs is the same across the Great britain and the European Union.

In practice, the chance of facing a criminal lawsuit—especially as an individual—is extraordinarily slim, but you are breaking the police force regardless.

We've established that downloading video ways you're always breaching YouTube'due south terms. We besides know that if yous download copyrighted content, you're breaking the law. Just are there whatsoever times when it's legal to download YouTube videos?

Yes! You tin can use third-party YouTube downloaders to download videos for which the copyright laws exercise not apply, or videos for which the copyright grants you lot the right to reproduce the video.

In that location are a few dissimilar types of videos you tin legally download on YouTube:

  • Public domain: Public domain works occur when the copyright has expired, been forfeited, been waived, or been inapplicable from the starting time. No 1 owns the video, meaning members of the public tin can reproduce and distribute the content freely.
  • Artistic Commons: Creative Commons applies to works for which the artist has retained copyright, just has given the public permission to reproduce and distribute the work.
  • Copyleft: Copyleft grants anyone the right to reproduce, distribute, and alter the work, as long as the same rights apply to derivative content. Read our article explaining copyright vs. copyleft if you lot would like to learn more.

With a flake of earthworks on YouTube, y'all tin can find lots of videos that autumn under one of the above categories. Retrieve, downloading the videos will still break YouTube'southward Terms of Service, but volition non constitute a criminal act.

The Moral Argument of Downloading Videos

Of class, there'southward also a moral question surrounding the process of downloading YouTube videos.

In much the same way that sites like MUO rely on ads to go on providing readers with free content, many YouTube personalities live off their aqueduct revenues.

By downloading the video and sharing it with friends offline, you lot 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 Government Fighting a Losing Battle?

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

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

Anecdotal evidence even suggests many of the YouTube downloader sites are being allowed to run Google Ads. Perhaps Alphabet is more concerned with monetizing those sites' vast traffic than penalizing them.

As was the case with piracy in the 2000s, the whole thing is developing into a game of whack-a-mole between the apps/sites/tools and Television receiver networks and record labels. As before long as one site is forced offline, a dozen new offerings pop up in its identify.

Let'due south recap what we've learned:

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

And all of this likely applies to all the other video sites out there, then be careful.

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Almost The Author

Dan Toll (1604 Articles Published)

Dan joined MakeUseOf in 2014 and has been Partnerships Managing director since July 2020. Attain out to him for inquires nearly sponsored content, affiliate agreements, promotions, and any other forms of partnership. You can too notice him roaming the show floor at CES in Las Vegas every year, say hi if yous're going. Prior to his writing career, he was a Financial Consultant.

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