It won't take too much effort to find a source of illegal movie downloads on the web these days and, it can quite often seem as everybody is at it. However, though access to free movies may sound good, it is illegal and, quite apart from that, there are a number of other reasons why it may not be such a hot idea.

Many people bemoan that cost of having to rent or purchase a move. Equally, many complain about the cost of going to the theater to see the latest releases. However, it is important to remember that these guys; the studios, actors, film crew and so on are doing a job, like we all do. So though it may not seem as such, it is tantamount to stealing from somebody's pocket.

Then there are the people behind these movies; they do profit from the crime. Though you may get the movie for free, they will be making a buck somewhere and, this money will likely finance crimes such as drug trafficking, child prostitution and international terrorism.

However, there are complications. Increasingly, it is possible to download movies perfectly legally; some of which are even completely free. However, if you are unsure, which can be the case; all you need do is drop an email to the film's distributor and check with them. And of course, if it is a latest release, then you really should already know for yourself anyway.

It is also worth bearing in mind that, in the vast majority of cases the movie downloads for illegal sites will be pretty poor quality. The images may be distorted, the sound not too clear and, on occasion, you get people standing up in front of the camera as it has clearly been filmed in a theater.

Movies are meant to be enjoyed these days with surround sound, high definition and everything else that comes along with it. You simply do not get that from pirated versions.

Additionally, there are no guarantees whatsoever that you will download exactly what is you wanted. And this doesn't mean downloading the wring film, (though that is a frequent occurrence), but more the virus you may introduce too. Even on sites that have been operating for years with thousands of members it happens; certainly P2P and torrent sites.

The industry, with the full weight of the Federal authorities are increasingly coming together to fight the problem. And though they will concentrate on the people providing the material, they will also go after those who download them. It is likely anyone in the past year or so that has downloaded something is already listed.

There are now many places where legitimate movie downloads can be found, and this is a trend that is set to continue as the movie makers recognize people like the convenience of this. But people need to understand that a charge will be needed, and the movie will be enjoyable as it will play in the format intended when it was made.

Movie downloads are the future for rental and purchase of course, that much is clear, and steps are being taken to cater for this. However, illegally accessing something is a crime, and not really beneficial to anyone, except those that profit from it.