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Preventing kids from pirating movies, music and software


Online is the illegal copying and sharing of copyrighted materials for business or personal use. This can mean downloading music, movies, games, or software without the permission of the copyright owner as well as sharing music, movies, games, and software copies that you own. If your kids are pirating digital files, you could be subject to steep fines or other penalties, and they could be exposing your computer to viruses, spyware, and other unwanted software.

MS suggests some ways to help you prevent your kids from downloading illegally:

1. Warn your children about the risks
Your child could expose your computer to viruses, you could be fined up to $30,000 (this fine can vary by country).

2. Supervise your child's activities on the computer
Keep the computer in a central room in your house. Specify certain times your child can and cannot use the computer and make sure they understand which activities are acceptable and which are not.

3. Give your child a limited user account
As a parent, you can give yourself an Administrator account, which allows you full control over the computer, and give your children Limited User accounts, which have restricted controls to help kids stay out of trouble.

4. Show your children how to download legally
There are many different places on the Web where you and your children can download software, movies, games, and music for free or for a low price. Consider giving your children an allowance for music, games, or other software so they won't be tempted to download illegally.

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