NSW Is it not the case that every Youtube video that a person watches breaks copyright?

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J_R_Kelly

Member
31 May 2021
3
0
1
Greetings.

I was researching the concept that maybe watching a video that contains some material that is copyright-infringing, to be more exact, watching a video that contains some seconds of third party stuff is illegal. I had looked at the link below and found some concepts which confused me


As far as I can tell at time of writing, merely seeing a copyright-infringing stuff in a passive way is not illegal BUT copying it down is. As was pointed out tho, the act of getting video from a streaming service is basically the same thing as copying it down as the computer downloads the data before it can actually play it, or in the case of servers downloads before sending it off again (as far as I know at time of writing).

What I am worried about is, doesn't that apply to all youtube videos? Afterall, all video's are downloaded before they are played, without permission, right? By extension, wouldn't this apply to the whole internet, with all of it's articles and such, being shared around without permission? Or am I just missing something? I have guessed I am wrong, it is legal, otherwise how would the modern world or at least Australia deal with the modern world but the how I am wrong is something I am confused about.


Please help, I dislike at time of writing this question the concept that every youtube video is not legal so I very much hope at time of writing I am wrong.

I also ask that you please explain in a simple, clear fashion, copyright is confusing to me, at least at time of writing.

As a side note, is there stuff that is illegal merely to see? Or stuff that becomes illegal to see if you seek it out?