GoMovies holds a special place in the hearts of many who like to stream and download their favorite TV shows and movies for free. As a faithful user, you will know these platforms: GoStream, GoMovies (original), GoMovieshub, and MeMovies. However, this site was taken down in March 2018. While you can still access GoMovies through its copy websites or “mirrors,” it remains a question if these sites are safe for streaming.
These mirrors are still illegally uploading and hosting copyrighted content like the original websites. Because of this, law enforcement agencies are even keener on fishing out more sites like them.
Nonetheless, some workarounds still allow you to stream on a movie website for free. This article discusses surefire ways to stay safe from prying eyes, legal GoMovies alternatives, and how to juggle all of them.
Is using GoMovies legal?
The consensus over the legality of using GoMovies varies from place to place. Depending on the location, the laws on piracy differ and can range from no charge to a warning to a fine in some cases.
Furthermore, it is essential to research your location and the accompanying laws on piracy. This way, you do not infringe on any piracy laws.
Below are some of the significant places and just how they view piracy and the rules regarding the act:
| Stance on privacy | Countries |
|---|---|
| Pirating for personal use is allowed | Switzerland, Spain, and Poland. |
| Pirating is illegal | Great Britain, the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, China, Russia, Australia, South Africa, Finland, Portugal, and Latvia |
| While piracy is deemed illegal, there is typically no formal prosecution. | Colombia, Brazil, Egypt, India, Denmark, Canada, Greece, Czech Republic, Iran, Israel, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Uruguay, and Argentina |
It is necessary to note that there is a distinction between downloading copyrighted content and streaming it. The former entails you were storing the file on your local device and can stand as evidence to charge you with, but the latter leaves behind caches, and you do not retain ownership of the file or its content.
Legal pitfalls of using GoMovies
Streaming illegal content carries different consequences depending on the jurisdiction in which the user is streaming. Take, for example, countries like Germany, where hefty fines are imposed, but imprisonment is not an expected outcome. However, the consequences may differ in other regions where fines or penalties are not enforced.
It’s worth noting that a warning system may be in place in some locations per local laws.
Additionally, it is essential to consider that in certain jurisdictions, only the distributor of copyrighted content is held liable in case of legal prosecution. Interestingly, even in countries where copyrighted content may not be downloaded, the residual cache files from streaming can be utilized to track and potentially prosecute individuals.
Is GoMovies safe to use?
After knowing that GoMovies looks safe to use, concerning the legality, you now must understand safety in another context. This context refers to the risks of using GoMovies as regards malware.
But to honestly answer the question if GoMovies is safe to use, we must specify just what that means. GoMovies is no longer active, but some mirrors have sprung up to replace it in its absence.
The issue, then, is, are these mirrors safe to use? And the answer is that the risk of using mirrors without protection is inadvisable. Ill-meaning admins run most mirrors and might pose a severe user risk.
Watch out for mirror sites
Accessing content on GoMovies is exclusively possible through website duplicates, known as “mirrors” or copycat sites. These sites are hosted and controlled by third parties who may or may not have been affiliated with the original GoMovies website.