The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has decided to declare it illegal to copy a CD onto your computer.
For years I have followed intellectual property laws and I am no legal scholar, nor am I an attorney, but I had thought that it had long been settled law that a private citizen was legally allowed to make copies of music files for their personal use. This is not something that was started with computers, it goes back to the desire of music lovers to make tape recordings of their prized LP albums to reduce the wear and tear on the vinyl so that they could enjoy their property as long as possible. I know that back in the 70s I used to make cassette recordings of all of my albums and play the tapes in my car and on tape decks in my home with two express purposes.
1. To protect my investment in vinyl albums.
2. To arrange the songs in a manner that pleased me.
Now the RIAA wants to make it illegal for me to buy a CD and load it into iTunes.
I don’t see how they can make this stick, but I guess stranger things have happened. I am pretty much a stickler about copying intellectual property, I have taught my children that it is wrong to share music files with their friends through CDs or file-sharing software. I think I am about as straight-laced as any individual on the planet when it comes to legally enjoying my music collection.
But I have to say, this bothers me tremendously. I think this will just fuel the fire and increase the justification of those who illegally copy music, and will expand their number by the millions if the RIAA wins this.
I’ll keep an eye on this one.
Download Uproar: Record Industry Goes After Personal Use – washingtonpost.com
Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.
2 users commented in " Illegal to copy CDs onto your computer? "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackCosmic: Yes, I read that article this morning, and it really bothered me, too. I share your history of transferring vinyl to cassette regularly as a teenager (for the same reasons). I also share your history of reading my kids “the riot act” when it comes to downloading music for free (haven’t been graced with a lawsuit…yet).
But it does really worry me on many levels. First of all, I don’t think they can make it stick. But if they do…where does it stop? Say I buy a really great painting at a “starving artist sale” for 10 bucks. I am so thrilled with it that I take a picture of the painting, and e-mail it to 10 friends. Can the starving artist come back and file suit for $100…or for tens of thousands because his property has been compromised? That may not be a very good example, but I think you know where I am coming from.
I really think that the entertainment industry (Movie studios, Record companies, Television, etc.) is going to have to come to grips with the fact that their property only really belongs to them before they release it to the high-tech population.
I am with those industries in their assertion that no one else should be able to MAKE A PROFIT by rebroadcast, or reproduction of their property…but one dude passing a copied cassette to a buddy for free…well…I don’t know. Back in the day, you could tape your vinyl, and hand it to a pal. Now, you can share your Best of Bread album with Jacques in France…no charge mon ami.
It is a “sticky wicket” for sure. Interesting topic…maybe someone else will have better conclusions that will help me make up my mind.
The RIAA is not long for this world. Sony might make $4 billion a year from CD sales, but they make $40 billion a year from the hardware that allows one to copy a CD. It’s a no-brainer.
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