There seem to be a plethora of streaming sites available online, not established websites like 123Movies, but new ones appear to appear regularly. But how would you tell which are lawful and which are illegal?
It’s not always evident that a website is unauthorized, particularly when no attempt is made to hide it. What follows, though, when they do make an effort? How do you identify if something is fair usage or if it is a copyright violation?
Find out in this blog.
Myriad of Ads
As we’ve seen, advertisements aren’t always a clue that you’re on an unlawful site because several free services like 123Movies rely on them. The content and persistence of those adverts, on the other hand, is usually a major warning indicator.
It’s cause for alarm if you’ve only just opened the site and are already bombarded with advertisements everywhere you look. If such ads are provocative online ads or are pushing explicit content, you must be extra cautious.
Original Entertainment Content
Legal streaming sites don’t steal original content from one another. The Man in the High Castle is available on Amazon, Disney+ has WandaVision, Netflix has The Witcher, and so on.
Quality work from one service will not be found on another. When you do, you’ve landed on an unlawful page, and you should leave right away.
If you start looking for ways to download or copy that stuff (such as filming it while you watch it), you’ve entered the murky depths of piracy. Piracy is also prohibited. You’re breaching the law even if you don’t intend to disseminate the content you take. In the legal sense, the intent is irrelevant.
Symbolic Red Flags
Get out of there if the streaming site you’ve opened has a warning on its landing page. No lawful website will warn you about the consequences of using it.
The same is true if you come upon a caution. A legal website does not require a statement indicating its content is licenced. It’s time to flee if you see any.
Identification Data Is Missing
Another red flag is a lack of publicly available information about the business. A blank “About Us” or “Contact Us” section, to be particular. These are always available on legal websites so you can double-check who you’re interacting with.
Conclusion
Legal streamers pay for content production or licencing. As a result, you’ll almost always have to pay for these services as well.
Paying, on the other hand, is not a guarantee of genuineness. 123Movies is among the plenty of excellent free movie streaming sites available that are safe.
For example, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video pay for the right to broadcast some material on their platforms. Some even have their own production lines, which implies they create unique content that isn’t seen anywhere else.
Then they cost you a monthly subscription fee for the right to see that stuff that you can consume as often as you choose without worry of committing a crime.
