Downloading music from the Internet and can be sued, fined, and/or go to jail. The truth is free music downloads, done correctly, are legal. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sharply pursues copyright violators. And they should - it’s piracy plain and simple. But there are millions of free mp3 downloads legally available. You’ll quickly attract RIAA’s attention by using file-sharing services like Kazaa and Grokster. The technology is not illegal (yet), but using it to share downloadable music is at best a grey area. And make no mistake, they can and will find you! The question now is how to get free downloadable music without breaking the law? First understand the difference between restricted and unrestricted copyrights. All songs have an artist or record label copyright. Many copyrights restrict gratis downloads. But many musicians want to share their music at no charge through free downloads. Some are unknowns looking for exposure, but many famous musicians know it’s in their interest to offer free downloads. It inevitably leads to more CD, concert and merchandise sales. And it boosts their image and popularity. Most music download services offer a free trial period when you can download songs at no cost. Cancel before the trial ends and the songs cost nothing. Study the membership terms as some sites only allow use of the downloads while you are a member.