What is peer to peer file sharing, and why does it affect copyright?

P2P technology has many legitimate uses – providing opportunities and benefits to Internet users. However such technology does enable users to share information that they are not entitled to share – for example by sharing music or audiovisual materials without permission in breach of copyright law.  

You should be aware that the distribution of copyright material without permission through peer-to-peer networks, over the internet, is against the law.  It may also be in breach of the contractual terms you have agreed with your Internet Service Provider.

Under UK law copyright material sent over the Internet or stored on web servers will generally be protected in the same way as material in other media. Anyone wishing to distribute copyright protected material over the Internet should ensure that they have the permission of the owners of rights in the material unless copyright exceptions apply.