Sharing
is not illegal as long as you obey all
relevant copyright laws. Purchasing
a membership with
Bearsharesoftware does not give
you license to download and distribute
copyrighted material.
Bearsharesoftware does not condone
piracy or breaking copyright laws. The file sharing tools available on through our
members area are powerful search and
download tools, we recommend that you use your
discretion when downloading music, movie,
game and software files.
This
document is based on the FTC document
File Sharing: A Fair Share? Maybe Not.
To view the original FTC document, please
go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/sharealrt.htm We at Bearsharesoftware want our users to enjoy safely the full
benefits of Bearshare.
To that end, we have annotated this
Consumer Alert from the FTC to explain
how Bearshare works as a File-Sharing
Program.
You may read the entire document:
Copyright
Infringement:
Copyright laws and laws pertaining
to patents and inventions protect
original works of authorship and inventions.
Individuals who reproduce, distribute
copies, receive copies, publicly perform
or display works or inventions other
than their own and without the consent
of the owners or holders of rights,
or their authorized agents, in original
works of authorship or inventions,
may be in violation of copyright,
patent or other intellectual property
infringement. Bearsharesoftware does not encourage or condone the
illegal copying of copyrighted material.
This is not intended to be legal counsel
or advice. If you have any questions,
consult your attorney.
Excerpt
from FTC document "File Sharing:
A Fair Share? Maybe Not":
Shared Folders
File-Sharing: A Fair Share? Maybe
Not.
Every day, millions of computer users
share files online. Whether it is
music, games, or softwares,
file-sharing can give people access
to a wealth of information. You simply
download special software that connects
your computer to an informal network
of other computers running the same
software. Millions of users could
be connected to each other through
this software at one time. The software
often is free and easily accessible.
Sounds promising, right? Maybe, but
make sure that you consider the trade-offs.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC),
the nation's consumer protection agency,
cautions that file-sharing can have
a number of risks. For example, when
you are connected to file-sharing
programs, you may unknowingly allow
others to copy private files you never
intended to share. You may download
material that is protected by the
copyright laws and find yourself mired
in legal issues. You may download
a virus or facilitate a security breach.
Or you may unwittingly download pornography
labeled as something else.
To secure the personal information
stored on your computer, the FTC suggests
that you:
• Set up the file-sharing software
very carefully. If you don't check
the proper settings when you install
the software, you could open access
not just to the files you intend to
share, but also to other information
on your hard drive, like your tax
returns, email messages, medical records,
photos, or other personal documents.
Bearsharesoftware's response: Shared
Folders
To check which files you’re sharing,
open Bearshare and click on the Library
tab. Clicking on the folders (and sub-folders)
will show the files being shared.
Excerpt
from FTC document "File Sharing:
A Fair Share? Maybe Not":
Spyware
Be aware of spyware. Some file-sharing
programs install other software known
as spyware. Spyware monitors a user's
browsing habits and then sends that
data to third parties. Sometimes the
user gets ads based on the information
that the spyware has collected and
disseminated. Spyware can be difficult
to detect and remove. Before you use
any file-sharing program, you may
want to buy software that can prevent
the downloading of spyware or help
detect it on your hard drive.
Bearshare's response: Spyware
Bearshare has absolutely no spyware or
adware. Zero. None. We do not bundle
any other software with Bearshare software.
Excerpt
from FTC document "File Sharing:
A Fair Share? Maybe Not":
Default Closing Behavior
Close your connection. In some
instances, closing the file-sharing
program window does not actually close
your connection to the network. That
allows file-sharing to continue and
could increase your security risk.
If you have a high-speed or "broadband"
connection to the Internet, you stay
connected to the Internet unless you
turn off the computer or disconnect
your Internet service. These "always
on" connections may allow others
to copy your shared files at any time.
What's more, some file-sharing programs
automatically open every time you
turn on your computer. As a preventive
measure, you may want to adjust the
file-sharing program's controls to
prevent the file-sharing program from
automatically opening.
Excerpt
from FTC document "File Sharing:
A Fair Share? Maybe Not":
Viruses
Use and update your anti-virus
software regularly. Files you download
could be mislabeled, hiding a virus
or other unwanted content. Use anti-virus
software to protect your computer
from viruses you might pick up from
other users through the file-sharing
program. Although your virus filter
should prevent your computer from
receiving possibly destructive files,
computer security experts suggest
you avoid files with extensions like
.exe, .scr, .lnk, .bat, .vbs, .dll,
.bin, and .cmd.
Bearshare's response: Viruses
Please be very careful when downloading
files with a .exe suffix, since these
files can contain a virus or spyware.
For security reasons, Bearshare software will not download VBS
files. Bearshare's Library will not
launch .exe, .vbs, .lnk, .bat, .sys,
or .com files, although such files can
be launched with a program outside of
Bearshare software. We do recommend the
use some sort of virus-protection software
to scan any files that are downloaded.
Excerpt
from FTC document "File Sharing:
A Fair Share? Maybe Not":
Adult Content
Talk with your family about file-sharing.
Parents may not be aware that their
children have downloaded file-sharing
software on the family computer and
that they may have exchanged games,
videos, music, pornography, or other
material that may be inappropriate
for them. Also, because other peoples'
files sometimes are mislabeled, kids
unintentionally may download these
files. In addition, kids may not understand
the security and other risks involved
with file-sharing and may install
the software incorrectly, giving anyone
on the Internet access to the family's
private computer files.
The
FTC works for the consumer to prevent
fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business
practices in the marketplace and to
provide information to help consumers
spot, stop, and avoid them. To file
a complaint or to get free information
on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov
or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357);
TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters
Internet, telemarketing, identity theft,
and other fraud-related complaints into
Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online
database available to hundreds of civil
and criminal law enforcement agencies
in the U.S. and abroad. |
