Illegal, in the sense of a criminal offence? No. Breaching copyright is not a crime, except in a few circumstances (which vary from place to place, but often in

Illegal, in the sense of a criminal offence? No. Breaching copyright is not a crime, except in a few circumstances (which vary from place to place, but often include e.g. commercial exploitation). It's generally a civil wrong. And it's probably not even a civil wrong. The acts restricted by copyright are limited and enumerated. E.g. you generally need a copyright licence to perform a work in public, to communicate it to the public, to lend it to the public, and of course to copy it (among others). In most places, you wouldn't need a licence to sing it at a private family gathering. Though IANAL.