Copyright laws and the internet

mupcollector1

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I've been researching high and low and even contacting the US Copyright office but still no answer. It seems like in this digital age we live in, there's more and more controversy over digital technology of the internet and copyright infrigment. So I'm trying to figure out the facts. Perhaps you could help me out.

.It's not illegal to save pictures on the internet right? Even printing them out and put it up on your wall as a fan / printing them out to put in a folder for research purposes (how to draw the picture)
.If something isn't on itunes video when why is it illegal to copy a dvd to an ipod
.Is downloading youtube videos illegal? Even if it's a video that has never been commercial release or even something as rare as a tv commercial from the 90s that would probably never see the light of day of commercial release. Internet Videos in general, to put on DVD or even on your ipod

Also I bought this software from Wal-Mart for about $20 called cineMobile (now called 123copy DVD). It's clearly sold at Wal-Mart and Best Buy, so if it's illegal then what's it doing in a store?

Even RealPlayer can download flash videos and they've been around almost at the begaining of the internet.

.According to a old article on the internet, Tape Trading is still legal. But would it still count today?
http://www.innermind.com/myguides/misc/faqtrade.htm
.What are the official US copright rights to the customer in terms of personal use.

I know these questions might seem a little bit ridiculous to ask but it seems like there's new laws for copyright all the time.
 

tutter_fan

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I think the answer to your first question is (as far as I know) true, unless the site you go on has a script of some kind that would prevent you from saving whatever pictures you want. As for the other questions, I have no idea.
 

mupcollector1

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I'm still surprised that someone could get arrested over personal use / non-profit, because for awhile I thought that it was just that simple....if your not selling work that doesn't belong to you, your okay. It seems laws are set in stone in terms of the piracy bootleg people who clearly break the law but often it's so misunderstood and turned to fandom and even technically intellectual people who just wants to know how things work for their knowledge. I've always thought the main purpose of the internet technology was knowledge. Again, just my opinions.

If anyone knows for sure, please let me know. :smile:
 

Sgt Floyd

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.It's not illegal to save pictures on the internet right? Even printing them out and put it up on your wall as a fan / printing them out to put in a folder for research purposes (how to draw the picture)
I think if you don't own the picture, then it technically is illegal, but its so low on the totem pole that no one cares. However, the owner of the picture does have the right to ask you to remove such images from either the internet or for your personal use and can sue you if you do not.
.If something isn't on itunes video when why is it illegal to copy a dvd to an ipod
Because, again, you do not own the footage. Someone else does. They have not authorized you to use or own the footage. When you buy a dvd, you are pretty much buying the right to view it any time you want. But if you watch the FBI notices, most of them say for private, home use only. You still are technically not allowed to publicly show it.

.Is downloading youtube videos illegal? Even if it's a video that has never been commercial release or even something as rare as a tv commercial from the 90s that would probably never see the light of day of commercial release. Internet Videos in general, to put on DVD or even on your ipod
Same reason as stated above

Also I bought this software from Wal-Mart for about $20 called cineMobile (now called 123copy DVD). It's clearly sold at Wal-Mart and Best Buy, so if it's illegal then what's it doing in a store?
For back up reasons. As long as you own the official dvd, or whatever, you can make as many copies of it as you want. But once you no longer have the original, all copies need to be destroyed. You can also not copy and give away the media. No matter how damaged and unplayable the original might be, you need to have it in your possession for the copies of it to be legal.

Even RealPlayer can download flash videos and they've been around almost at the begaining of the internet.
Just because the option is available, doesn't mean its legal. If you know where to look on the internet, you can get anything for free. Movies, games, music. But agian, just because it's out there, doesn't mean that it is technically legal. If someone really wanted to, they could go after Real and have that option removed, just like google was doing with those youtube downloaders.
 

mupcollector1

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I guess my next question which I find very sad as a fan is that if all of these things are illegal, then does that mean I got to delete every single picture I ever saved on the internet, every youtube video that I downloaded from a store bought product, anything I ever printed out of some kind of pop culture I like, and even video tapes and dvds of rare footage that has never been released? Not trying to sound sarcastic, I'm being serious. Also sound I call the copyright office and confess and see how much I owe in damages? Again, not being sarcastic, I'm seriously asking this.
 

Sgt Floyd

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I guess my next question which I find very sad as a fan is that if all of these things are illegal, then does that mean I got to delete every single picture I ever saved on the internet, every youtube video that I downloaded from a store bought product, anything I ever printed out of some kind of pop culture I like, and even video tapes and dvds of rare footage that has never been released? Not trying to sound sarcastic, I'm being serious. Also sound I call the copyright office and confess and see how much I owe in damages? Again, not being sarcastic, I'm seriously asking this.

From a technical, legal standpoint, yes. But that doesn't mean that you should. The only way you can get in trouble is if the owners of the media decide to track you down, and even then, unless you were downloading all kinds of seriously expensive software and stuff, the worst they will do is ask you to get rid of it.
 

newsmanfan

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Most of the time, it's not prosecuted; the law is meant to go after those who take away the rights of ownership of music, video, images, etc by copying and distributing the work. Some artists are very lax about this; I personally don't care if someone wants to steal my drawings, for instance, as long as they're not SELLING them. Some (take the Metallica guys, for example) are downright inflexible.

Anyone recall a few years back, when some fans made a Harry Potter wiki website, WITH Rowling's permission, because they were just fans wanting to put all the info of what character was in what book, etc, out for other fans? All well and good until they PUBLISHED it as a book, for profit. Rowling sued, and IMHO should have won but didn't...but thankfully the fans responded. I personally met the "authors" -cum-thieves on their "book tour" when they tried to sell it themselves at the used bookstore where I worked. I am happy to say that people generally weren't giving them the time of day. The book went nowhere and the thieves wound up looking pretty stupid and greedy. Moral: it's fine to be a fan. It's not cool to profit off someone else's blood, sweat, and tears without their permission.
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