Some songs are available for free download but others are protected by copyright laws, which vary from one country to the other.

The US Digital Millennium Copyright Act states that copying of copyrighted music is unlawful. However, according to the act, a person can make a copy of the copyrighted music for his personal use. This US law safeguards illegal reproduction or distribution of music to the public. Uploading music files via peer-to-peer network amounts to breach of the law.

One of the challenges faced by the music industry is the loss of revenue through illegal music downloads. If a person is able to download music from the internet, he need not have to spend money to buy a CD at local music store. However, organizations that favor music sharing suggest that the losses incurred by the music industry are due to bad economy and fewer new releases. This loss affects the musicians, sounds technicians, recording studios and the industry.

Recently, there have many cases of music piracy in courts. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) states that an offence of online violation of copyrighted music can lead up to three years in jail and $250,000 as fine. If the person is a repeat offender, he can be imprisoned up to six years.

So, if you choose to download, you can do it using a paid service. There are many paid sites like iTunes that allow legal downloading of music on the Internet.

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