is it Legal

ali825 · 21 Oct 2006 at 20:03

hi ya i am wanting to know if i buy a cd (music) and then a mate copys it on to his computer is that legal, would you be able to provide some links to a website to support your argment

ali

BloomerzUK · 21 Oct 2006 at 20:06

It's legal to buy a Music CD and rip it to your on computer, for your own personal use.

I think what you want to do is illegal, yes.

CarlD · 21 Oct 2006 at 20:18

It would be illegal , wouldn't it?
For obvious reasons.. to tired to try explain

semi-pro waster · 21 Oct 2006 at 20:18

This isn't really a General Hardware type of question I don't think but anyway.

If this is homework or something you want to be looking at the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988, amended by the 2003 regulations. This is only a short and rather basic summary of the contents. Technically it isn't legal to do either(rip music to your PC and especially not to copy it for someone else) unless you own the copyright or otherwise have gained permission. What you would be attempting to do is media-shifting and in the UK there is no direct provision such as the Fair Dealing principle that the Americans have. Now record companies have generally given a voluntary undertaking not to prosecute but that is not an obligation on them, it is simply that it is too widespread and not worth the effort normally to consider prosecuting people for 'ripping' their CDs to a portable music device or whatever.

squiffy · 21 Oct 2006 at 20:21

ali825 said:
hi ya i am wanting to know if i buy a cd (music) and then a mate copys it on to his computer is that legal, would you be able to provide some links to a website to spuart your argment

ali

No, it's illegal. And it's spelt "support"

Psyk · 22 Oct 2006 at 02:20

Technically it isn't legal to do either(rip music to your PC and especially not to copy it for someone else) unless you own the copyright or otherwise have gained permission.

The BPI (they represent the british music industry) have said they will not press charges on anyone copying music CDs to their computer for personal use. So basically copying music to your PC and/or MP3 player is legal as they have essentially given permission. Although as you want to copy it to a friends computer it is illegal since it's not for your own use.

semi-pro waster · 22 Oct 2006 at 09:51

Psyk said:
The BPI (they represent the british music industry) have said they will not press charges on anyone copying music CDs to their computer for personal use. So basically copying music to your PC and/or MP3 player is legal as they have essentially given permission. Although as you want to copy it to a friends computer it is illegal since it's not for your own use.

It is rather a grey area, since it is just a voluntary agreement they could, at any moment, rescind it in theory. However to all intents and purposes it is so unlikely and so widespread as I mentioned that personal media-shifting is not likely to ever be prosecuted.