Downloading responsibly: content you are allowed to save

A downloader is a tool, and like any tool the responsibility sits with the person using it. Before saving a file, it is worth being clear about what you are allowed to do with it.

Generally safe uses

• Your own uploads that you want to archive or re-edit
• Content published under an open licence that permits reuse
• Material you have written permission from the creator to save
• Public-domain works

Where problems start

Re-uploading someone else's video to another platform, using footage in monetised content without a licence, or redistributing copies are the actions that cause takedowns and legal trouble — not the act of watching offline.

Platform terms still apply

Each platform's terms of service set their own rules about offline copies, and those rules can be stricter than copyright law. Reading the relevant section once is faster than dealing with a strike later.

Credit the creator

If you share something you saved, link back to the original. It costs nothing, keeps views with the person who made the work, and is the difference between reference and appropriation.