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This means that members of the public can download and reproduce the content as they please.
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However, there are instances where downloading content for personal use is legal. We’ve seen that downloading, copying, and distributing YouTube videos is strictly prohibited in theory, both according to the company and regulatory organisms around the world. As harmless as this may seem for a casual user, this is considered breaking the law regardless, despite the hundreds of Youtube downloaders available with a simple search on Google or Bing. That said, if you want to download music streams to build a personal library, the chances of facing any legal prosecution are extremely slim. These make it illegal to download or copy any sort of video content without permission fraudulent exploitation or use could result in lawsuits and trials. Content posted on YouTube is subject to strict laws in the United States, but also throughout the European Union and other nations worldwide.
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While YouTube may be inclined to turn a blind eye to instances of illegal downloads on its platform, countries have copyright laws in place to protect owners and what they share online. That said, if the platform did enforce these, it would certainly need a much larger team of lawyers to deal with the innumerable cases of copyright infringement. This can expose users to a wide range of legal consequences, from account suspensions and bans to legal lawsuits.
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In practice, however, the platform is well aware that millions of people download videos without authorization. This means that, whenever you use YouTube, you agree to the company’s terms. On its terms of service page, Youtube explicitly forbids users from copying, reproducing, broadcasting, selling, or exploiting any of its content without the consent of the platform or the content’s licensor. The present guide explores this controversial topic and provides useful legal insights on YouTube downloads. Now, what if someone wanted to download a YouTube video directly on their device for personal use? Would that be legal? Despite a few exceptions, and while millions of users do it without a second thought, the short answer is no: Using a third-party tool to download YouTube videos is prohibited. Every web user is bound to have used it at one point or another, for leisure or work purposes. As the world’s largest online video sharing platform, Youtube hosts the most diverse content, including music clips, entertainment vlogs, movies, documentaries, cooking recipes, DIY tutorials, and so much more. There’s no denying that YouTube has gained phenomenal popularity over the years.
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