I've only been a member of TOTSE for a short time (3 or 4 years by my count) so I don't really know the long-term standing of the site's policy with posting of copy-righted material, but it has always been my understanding that, for the most part, it is has not been allowed.

We get the occasional links to torrents and full album uploads in AR&R that Sam, Goose, or I must deal with (using just editing out and giving a verbal warning to the poster) and I know MP get's a "Where Can I Download Pirvate Parts At, lulz!" everynow and then, but a recent thread (http://www.totse.com/community/showthread.php?t=2000300) has got me wondering what the offical stance is; I know emulators were usually allowed to be posted in GPP but not ROMS, key codes, or cracks (GPP mods feel free to correct me).

I was just wondering if TOTSE could placed into any type of legal situation if music, movies, software, or games were posted on the site (however rare the occasions are)?

I was wondering that, too.
Thing is, I cant do much about that thread as a newb moderator. I may be a long time poster but I'll still be seen as a cunt if I close that and it was the wrong thing to do.

I did add a little..disclaimer to that thread though.

In regards to written material, references are enough.

In regards to movies and such, I always edited them out, usually changing the direct torrent link to the main page of the torrent, when I moderated Moving Pictures.

My policy in Printed Matter is much the same. They should feel free to post how to get the e-books, but I'm not a fan of direct links.

I take the same stand in art and design, people posting torrents and such similar things for photoshop etc. I generally close them.

This fortunately doesn't come up all too often on S&A but in general I'll delete torrent links etc wih the comment 'available from the usual suspects'.

Anyone one who doesn't know how to google/p2p/bitorrent is beyond my help.

When I used to mod T&T I would always edit out links to illegally distributed copyrighted material. Of course when I was modding there, torrents weren't very popular at all. Today I would continue to do the same thing, though. If someone asks for or posts a website where they can get illegal downloads, I would leave it. But if they posted a direct link to the torrent file, I'd edit it. (Yeah, I know this sounds a lot like those decriminalization laws - "You can HAVE marijuana, you just can't buy, sell, or smoke it.")

That's my stance. I know a lot of other mods have a pretty strict policy as well. Totse isn't a warez site nor is it a torrent search engine.

I do pretty much the same thing Euda did when that happens.


And I'm with Jive, I'd also like to know what kind of trouble Totse would really get in for something like that, if anything would happen at all.

I've assumed it wouldn't be bad for people to post links to another site's page that contains a link to an illegal download, but I don't know much of anything about those kinds of laws. Or Totse's policy on that... So I'm not strict about it.

If someone makes a thread (in Moving Pictures) for the purpose of linking to an illegal download or stream of a movie, or requesting one, I'd close it. To not do so would just invite a whole flood of those threads. But if someone makes a thread to discuss the movie and then another poster replies later with a link to a stream or something, I leave it. Perhaps that doesn't make any sense, though.

I only do it that way because it seems the most reasonable to me, so Jeff and the admins should definitely come up with a site-wide stance on it.. Can't expect everyone to remember which forums they can post those things in, and which they can't. :D

Since the two admins/super mods seem to be here, think I can get your opinion on this as well Acidmelt?

allow nothign more than a link to a site where they are located. no direct links at all. coming from a family of lawyers i can tell you that we are breaking no laws doing it this way. however direct download links CAN get us in trouble. you can lead the horse to illegal water, but its there choice if they choose to drink it.

I tend to maintain your policy, but I normally just lock threads blatantly asking for illegal downloads.

The stuff can be found easily enough with searching, and I don't think TOTSE needs the trouble or negative press if it were made an example of.