Well.... Hey guys, I recently bought IPB and I love it, but I'm debating what to do with it... My first idea was a forum where you can share files. Not nessecarily wares ( what EXACTLY are warez too? ) But files in general... Would this sound do-able? And is there a way to protect myself in case there are wares on my site?
Warez is illegal distrubtion of copyrighted materials (Free or paid) Does sound do-able. And there are many ways you can prevent warez being shared just have it in your terms/rules.
I've got a file sharing forum too. Anyhow, it really depends on where you live that constitutes copyright infringement. For instance, if you live in the USA and snag a chinese drama video, you're not really infringing on copyright because it's not copyright in the USA. We could all get into a big discussion about what is warez and copy right infringement so I'll avoid that. Here's what you can do with IPB. They've got an add-on that lets you manage files. I've seen it in action and it's pretty nifty. You can add files to your server, attach thumbnails to the files, set a description and a minimum requirement to access the file (such as minimum post count). If you don't want to shell out some money for that add-on you can do what I'm doing. Create some forum sections for the files to be shared, post some guidelines on how to "properly share" the files. If you want to avoid legal trouble while operating in the USA, it's best you put up a DMCA disclaimer. Also, if warez files aren't directly on your server, you can't really get nailed. I make sure that my members always use mirrors such as megaupload because I've got no idea when the things they're sharing will get copyrighted here in the USA.
And I'd rather stay on the good side of the government, but isn't it kinda hard to come up with things to Upload that aren't wares? Yea - if only I lived in the Netherlands.... xD But not to leech, what do you upload? And ill definitely only allow mirrors
I agree, and I forgot to mention a DMCA notice is very important.. thanks for pointing that out Azure.
If you're using Google adsense on your forum, you'll want to be extra diligent so that no one posts downloads to copyrighted material. Google adsense will quickly disable ads on your site if you are found to be linking to or offering downloads of copyrighted material that YOU did not create. And, this is true for downloads of movies, games, ebooks, software, etc. Even linking to the illegal download site will get you in hot water with Google adsense, so use caution. If you are not using Google Adsense on your site, but instead selling ad space, then you can control what kind of downloads or links you put on your site. Still, you are opening yourself up to lawsuit if you don't control the downloads offered through your forum. Simply putting up a disclaimer will NOT protect you from a lawsuit or criminal prosecution.
