Is it legal to download videos from websites?

Updated 28 October 2026 · 6-minute read · General information, not legal advice

Short answer: it depends on three things — who owns the video, what the website's rules say, and whether the video is protected by DRM. Here's how those play out, in plain English. (This is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by country; when it really matters, ask a lawyer where you live.)

Usually fine

• Your own videos. Things you filmed, made or uploaded yourself. Backing up your own work is the clearest case there is. (How to back up your own videos.)
• Openly licensed videos. Content under licenses like Creative Commons usually allows copying — but read the specific license, because some forbid commercial use or editing.
• Public domain videos. Old films and government footage are often free to copy, depending on the country.
• Videos the site lets you keep. Some course platforms and webinar tools explicitly allow downloads or offline viewing for paying members. (Saving lectures · saving webinars.)

The gray area: a personal copy of something you can watch for free

This is where most people actually are — and where the answer genuinely depends on your country:

• United States: there's no specific "personal copy" rule; it falls under fair use, which courts judge case by case.
• European Union: many member states have a private-copying exception for personal use, usually paired with a levy on storage devices. The details vary country to country.
• United Kingdom: there is currently no general private-copying exception — one was introduced in 2014 and struck down by the High Court in 2015.
• India: the Copyright Act's fair dealing rules (Section 52) include private or personal use in some situations, though the boundaries aren't spelled out for video downloads.

On top of the law, most video sites have terms of service. Many forbid downloading. Breaking a site's terms is usually a matter between you and that site — for example, they can close your account — but it's still worth knowing before you hit download.

Clearly not OK

• Getting around DRM. Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and most paid streaming lock their videos with DRM. Breaking that lock is illegal in many places, including the US (DMCA Section 1201), the EU (the anti-circumvention rules of the Copyright Directive) and India (Copyright Act Section 65A). More on DRM.
• Sharing or re-uploading someone else's video. Even if keeping a copy is fine, publishing it isn't.
• Selling it — or using it in your own commercial work without a license.

A simple rule of thumb

Ask yourself: Is it mine, is it openly licensed, or am I allowed to keep it? If yes, you're almost certainly fine. If you're saving a personal copy of something free to watch, check your country's rules and the site's terms. If it's behind DRM, or you plan to share it, don't.

Where Vidtuck stands

Vidtuck is built for the "usually fine" column. It refuses DRM-protected video with a clear message instead of trying to break it, it doesn't support YouTube (its terms forbid downloading), and every screen reminds you to save only what you have the right to keep.