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Topic: Illegal to copy music to your hard drive? (Read 4000 times) previous topic - next topic
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Illegal to copy music to your hard drive?

Reply #1 –
Depends on the laws of the country... For example, here in Sweden everyone is entitled to make a infinite number of backup copies of every purchased digital media as long as you don´t give it to someone else, try to sell it and so on...

As I said, it depends on the laws of the country, so you´ll have to check with your country´s laws if it´s legal or not...

Illegal to copy music to your hard drive?

Reply #2 –
As Sachankara said, it depens on your countrys law.
In Germany you are allowed to make backups of music.
You even can legally give copys of the music to a few friends (a court set this number of friends to 7 or less) and you are allowed to keep the backup if you sell the original cd.  of course this is different with software. you are only allowed to keep the backup if you own the original.

Meista

P.S.: are you the left or ther right one of the chicks in your pic? 

Illegal to copy music to your hard drive?

Reply #3 –
In the US, you can legally rip audio CDs that you own for playback on devices like your PC and portable MP3 player. In some countries (mainly European), you can also legally share some of your music with others as long as there are no commercial undertones. The US is very intolerant in that regard.

I must admit that I really don't pay much attention to the nuances of US copyright law. I will rip audio CDs that I borrow from the public library with the intention of listening to the material after I have returned the physcial media. I don't lose much sleep over it because I am a very good customer of the industry, spending easily $1000 a year on music.

I have the very liberal attitude that I should be able to listen to any publically-released album at any time and on any device...without having to buy the physcial copies of the estimated hundreds of thousands of titles that have ever been released. I don't have the money (or room ) for that...nor does anybody, really. Not that I expect this ability to be free or even cheap, but time is finite and I get somewhat aggravated that I still have to pay about $15 for a new CD, even though I already have 600-700 (as that collection grows I have less finite time to devote to each). $15 is fair to the average person who may buy 10-15 CDs a year, but ouch, it hurts for somebody like me who buys 10-15 a month...that's why I have to buy most CDs used.

If a title is OOP, I still want to hear it. I shouldn't have to blow a wad on eBay to hear some rare album. Consider the first three albums by the Comsat Angels, a new-wave group...on eBay their CDs go for $75-100 a pop because there aren't enough copies to go around. It is frustrating because you only have two choices: pay a king's ransom for the physical media or download the MP3s.

So in my visionary outlook, someday you'll be able to legally download any album that every existed across your fat broadband pipe and be able to play that digital album anywhere without restrictions. Going to the music store to buy physical media will be antiquated. You could conceivably have 25000 download albums, legally. All this at the cost of about $99/month. Can't afford that? They'll be more restrictive plans for less. I am ready for this future, but I'll have to wait a good decade or so before it happens.

Actually, emusic.com has something like this already - at $15/month. Unlimited legal downloads in MP3 format (unsecured) for about 5000 artists, some fairly well-known. The problem is that they use 128kbps encoding, I think.

Illegal to copy music to your hard drive?

Reply #4 –
Quote
In the US, you can legally rip audio CDs that you own for playback on devices like your PC and portable MP3 player. In some countries (mainly European), you can also legally share some of your music with others as long as there are no commercial undertones. The US is very intolerant in that regard.
This is still a bit of a gray area; the US's Audio Home Recording Act authorized levies on blank media to be payed to copyright holders, and in return prohibited prosecution of home users for recording and passing around music on that media.  So if you purchase those more-expensive "Audio CD-Rs" on which royalties have been paid, you may be able to legally share the music with others (noncommercially, of course).

Illegal to copy music to your hard drive?

Reply #5 –
Re: "Are you the left or right one?" .. that cracked me up for some reason. Took me by surprise.

Thx for the replies.

I understand that laws vary from country to country. Still it was good to hear how other countries are handling the issue.

I'm not very interested in pers opinions. I know how I *feel* about the issue .. prolly the same as you. My aim is determine what the laws here in the US actually allow .. and, more importantly, don't allow.

Have you read the thread at the link at the top? I know it's long, but maxjoy claims that it's "Illegal if you are using your computer/cdrw drive to copy audio cds."

I never heard of anything like this. Neither has anyone I talked to. Seems like there is much confusion surrounding the issue.

I just want to know what the law says. The rest I can figure out for myself.

I prolly own 200 or 300 CDs, and I hardly listen to any of them .. cuz they al contains at least one song (usually more) that sucks. I've even purchased CDs cuz I liked ther cover (and been pleasantly surprised). But all of sudden, for some reason, I no longer want to purchase more CDs. Why is that?

The one thing I *do* enjoy is making compilation CDs, containing a bunch of songs that I like. But not someone is trying to tell me that this is illegal.

I would love a link to an authoritative, unbiased site (not the RIAA) that states in plain english ( not likely, I know) what the law allows for.

I have been given links to 1000-page web sites, the entire DMCA, and numerous other sources that I have neither the time nor inclination to wade thru (that legal "heretoforewith" jargon shit makes my head hurt).

Can anyone wrap it up in a nutshell? .. and provide links to supporting passges.

Appreicate your input.

Illegal to copy music to your hard drive?

Reply #6 –
Radboy wrote:

"Have you read the thread at the link at the top? I know it's long, but maxjoy claims that it's "Illegal if you are using your computer/cdrw drive to copy audio cds."

Just to be clear, I was not trying to make a claim one way or the other.  I  was only trying to paraphrase what I read at this web site.  Specifically item number 4:

http://www.soundbyting.com/html/top_10_myt...yths_index.html

I realize, Radboy, that you are looking for a definitive "yes" or "no" answer as to whether copying a cd is legal.  The problem is the answer is most likely "maybe".  One of the factors of that "maybe" is whether or not the copying is being done using a device and media that meets the standards set forth in the AHRA.  My understanding of what I have read is that a computer/cdrw does not meet those requirements.  Also, even if you are doing the copying with compliant devices/media, the AHRA does not say that it is legal, it only says that you are immune from a lawsuit.

"As long as the copying is done for noncommercial use, the AHRA gives consumers immunity from suit for all analog music copying, and for digital music copying with AHRA COVERED DEVICES.  It is important to note that the AHRA does not say that such copying is lawful; it simply provides an immunity from suit."

Anyway, here is another link.  It is kinda long, but is mostly in plain English and has a lot of interesting info.  Unfortunately I don't have the time or inclination to summarize it so you don't have to read it, so take a few minutes and check it out.  Maybe you can find the answer to your question.

http://www.cdpage.com/Audio_Compact_Disc/r...rong.html#SCRL4

Illegal to copy music to your hard drive?

Reply #7 –
Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.