Is it legal to download videos from Youtube?
Youtube is by far the most popular place to watch TV shows and films for free, most of which have been uploaded by users. Although Youtube’s Copyright policy (www.snipca.com/45340) says you aren’t allowed to upload videos you didn’t make yourself and that someone else owns the copyright to, you only need to search for [programme name] full episodes (see screenshot right) to see that this policy isn’t strictly enforced.
However, while Youtube tacitly allows you to stream copyrighted content for free, downloading it is another matter. Its Terms of Service (www.snipca. com/45339), last updated in January 2022, explicitly state that: “You are not allowed to access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, modify or otherwise use” its content without the permission of the rights holder and Youtube itself. Google has even banned Youtubedownloading tools from the Chrome Web Store and Google Play Store, though not similar programs for rival video services such as Vimeo, Dailymotion and Facebook.
Yet it’s easy to find software and online tools that let you download Youtube videos by searching for them on Google, and their websites often earn revenue through Google Ads.
Video downloaders aren’t illegal, but making copies of copyrighted content is, and theoretically you could be fined up to £50,000 or imprisoned for six months. But Youtube has never taken legal action against any site, developer or individual for breaching its terms, though it has threatened to – see www.snipca.com/45344.
Ultimately, it comes down to how you use the content you download – unless you try to profit from a video or pass off copyrighted material as your own work, you’re unlikely to get in trouble. But if you want to stay on the right side of the law, here are the main ways to legally download Youtube videos for free.