Is Ripping DVDs Still Illegal?

PieEater

PieEater

PieEater

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Is it still technically illegal to rip your own shop bought DVDs to your own media PC? The information in the sticky is dated 2003 and I've read that since then there were moves afoot to bring the UK in line with the rest of the EU where I understand it is legal to make a single copy for personal use, but I can't find if the law has actually changed - so I assume it hasn't.

Please no "just do it anyway" replies.

Thanks.
 
AFAIK the law hasn't changed. But this is one of those gray areas where there's a difference between the letter of the Law and how the authorities deal with any infringement.

There are two issues with DVDs and Blu-rays: 1) Duplicating material where you don't own the copyright. 2) Circumventing anti-copy measures. Even if we fall in line with Europe, point 2 is unlikely to be rescinded.

Copying for personal use wouldn't raise a blip on the radar. Making duplicates or file sharing outside your home would be a problem.

As you probably also know, it's still technically illegal to record TV broadcasts. But once again the authorities turn a blind eye to it for timeshift recording.
 
Obviously with media centre copies you have to be careful not to sell the original disk while keeping the electronicly stored copy (either by mistake or not).

I doubt the law will ever change technically, but with companies openly advertising media -servers that automatically rip DVD's and Blu-rays (just as Apple have done with Ipods for years - which are identical types of devices for music, and now video, from the legal p.o.v) personal consumption of your legally bought entertainment is never going to be an issue .........unless you start making money from it some how :D
 
iirc they changed it so you can make a copy of your music but didn't extend this to dvds, I could be wrong but I'm sure it became legal to do it for certain media but not dvds.
 
Thanks to those who made useful replies, it also looks like something similar applies to ripping CDs where converting the format (eg CD to MP3) is technically illegal but MP3 files in themselves are fine as long as you purchased the music in that format.
 
Although this is a bit of a limbo between the law and what the authorities allow to happen, you could consider the practicalities of this. Picture a scenario where Joe Bloggs has attempted prosecution brought against them for making backups of their own DVDs, and the authorities intend to utilise taxpayer's money for prosecuting the guy. The public outcry about the use and prioritisation of public services would be so mammoth that it would be suicidal to whoever instigated the prosecution.

To the guys who say it's less illegal to download, I'd personally say you're wrong. Firstly, you might not be downloading the exact same version you own, in which case you're pirating. Secondly, most downloads now are via torrents, so you'd also be distributing - pirating.
 
Makhaira said:
Although this is a bit of a limbo between the law and what the authorities allow to happen, you could consider the practicalities of this. Picture a scenario where Joe Bloggs has attempted prosecution brought against them for making backups of their own DVDs, and the authorities intend to utilise taxpayer's money for prosecuting the guy. The public outcry about the use and prioritisation of public services would be so mammoth that it would be suicidal to whoever instigated the prosecution.

To the guys who say it's less illegal to download, I'd personally say you're wrong. Firstly, you might not be downloading the exact same version you own, in which case you're pirating. Secondly, most downloads now are via torrents, so you'd also be distributing - pirating.
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If anyone still uses torrents to download stuff, they deserve to be caught and sent to prison for being so stupid.

To the OP, if it's for personal use, does it really matter if it's illegal or not? I presume you aren't going to grass yourself up to the police if you've copied a few CD's or DVD's.
 
You wouldn't steal a car would you? You wouldn't rape the pope would you? Well ripping DVD's is EXACTLY THE SAME!! Don't do it or I'll shop you in for the reward.
 
I want to know why the cinemas keep preaching to me to not pirate films. I just paid didn't I? In fact, it makes me want to pirate more. Arrrr!
 
These are mostly civil offenses so it would depend on a 3rd party taking action against you. Police authorities or similiar generally have no reason to prosecute or initiate action for these things.
 
MeMeMeMe said:
In America you are legally allowed to make backups. In Britain, there has never been such a rule.
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what if you made the backup whilst in the US and then returned to the UK?

I find it annoying that international companies trading in the UK can find tax loopholes to save their shareholdrs millions, and yet recording something off the telly might be breaking the law.
 
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Is Ripping DVDs Still Illegal?
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Technically it never has been illegal and still isn't. A big mine field here that I don't want to enter but if its is just for you to back-up and move around then I don't think any reasonable person would say there is anything wrong with it.
 
This is incorrect. In the UK, it's was always illegal to make even a private copy of DVDs and CDs for yourself, even for backup purposes. Also, UK copyright law has no Fair Use provision that could be used to get around that.

The Hargreaves report back in 2011 suggested making ripping legal for personal use, and the government indicated it was willing to reform copyright laws and incorporate these changes. I don't know if they have, though.

A little more information
 
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