is it legal to download a package onto my Ipod touch that allows me to install free games and apps that itunes charges for ?

i hear different things that it is or it isnt...i know in the u.s it is but what about over here ?

It's not legal in the US.

There's a difference between jailbreaking a device to unlock functionality that Apple has restricted.

Software piracy is the same no matter how you do it - illegal.

Cydia has plenty of software that isn't illegal to download.

Nothing to do with Cydia - piracy is still illegal.

IF your downloading none license content home brew applications ect then no. If your downloading Stuff that would be bought of the itunes store then yes its illegal and your downloading copy righted material.

Will you get in trouble no at the moment Your privacy laws are protecting you from the government monitoring the files you download of file sharing website P2P sites are different are there are several government anti P2P groups witch will contact your isp in certain circumstances,

Stealing is stealing, and has nothing to do with jailbreaking etc.

Most of the content on Cydia which is useful, is actually free and legal. SBSettings is a good example. Totally free on Cydia, and totally legal.

Now if you add certain repositories to Cydia to use it to install cracked apps you would have to pay for from the AppStore otherwise (and which the app author has not authorised their distribution on said repositories), then that is illegal. You've chosen to add those repositories of pirated material, and Cydia is not responsible for the content of them.

And the chances of being prosecuted are about zilch so don't worry, were robbed daily by mp's councils,shops etc and governments do they care ? i think not

There was a ruling in US that Apple can't use copyright laws to supress jailbreaking, so Cydia isn't illegal, installing cracked apps is.

As has been said before with the cracked apps - it's not like the developer has lost a sale because the downloader was unlikely to pay for it in the first place.
It's still not a condonable thing to do though.

Actually, if you believe the likes of the RIAA or the BPI (British Pornographic Industry, our equivalent of the RIAA), then every illegal download is equal to a lost sale. That's what they tell the courts, anyway, when seeking compensation. It is of course ludicrous, but they have money on their side and can get rificulous rulings in their favour.

It's equally as ludicrous to suggest that pirating doesn't mean developers lose out. Of course devs lose out through piracy.

Generally people pirate app store apps because it's quick and simple to do so, not because they cannot afford to buy the apps they want. If the pirated option wasn't available then they would buy apps instead - perhaps not the same amount they would have pirated but certainly they would spend more money than if they could get apps illegally for free.

Obviously there are some apps that are more expensive such as sat nav options and perhaps you could argue that TomTom wouldn't lose out as people wouldn't buy it if if they couldn't get it for free. At the same time though if pirate versions of TomTom weren't available and those pirates really wanted SatNav then they'd probably end up buying something cheaper like CoPilot. CoPilot are therefore probably losing out.