Question About Copying Tapes

[Buck-Beaver]

Well, I constantly rented "Kids For Character" when it came out. My guess is that my parents tried to find it in a store but didn't find it. So my uncle rented it and copied the WHOLE tape. I told my friend and he said it was 'almost illegal'.

Don't be silly, what your Uncle did was completely illegal.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Most of that stuff has to do with morals and what you consider right and legal. As long as your not making tons of copies of something and then sellong them on ebay, it doesn't really matter. If you make a copy of a cd you bought, then sold that original cd to a used cd shop or on ebay for a few bucks thats ok. You paid for the blamk cds, cases, cd burner, and computer to burn it with, So it's not like it's free, pluse whatever you sell the original cd for is not going to be as much as you paid for it.

Actually, what anyone "considers" illegal is a moot point. The law is the law. Point of fact is that what you just described is in fact illegal in most countries. Paying for blank CDs, a CD burner etc. is irrelevant because the artists who created that CD don't get a dime and the whole point of copyright law is that an artist (or copyright holder) should get a royalty everytime someone utlizes a copy of their work.

I agree though, it's unlikely someone is going to break down your door and arrest you over this. Then again, that's probably what those Internet file sharers who have been sued were thinking...

 

[dmx10101]

Actually, what anyone "considers" illegal is a moot point. The law is the law. Point of fact is that what you just described is in fact illegal in most countries. Paying for blank CDs, a CD burner etc. is irrelevant because the artists who created that CD don't get a dime and the whole point of copyright law is that an artist (or copyright holder) should get a royalty everytime someone utlizes a copy of their work.

I agree though, it's unlikely someone is going to break down your door and arrest you over this. Then again, that's probably what those Internet file sharers who have been sued were thinking...

I agree that alot of that stuff is the law, but it's still mostly what you think about it. Look at it this way you bought the cd and the artist makes there money from that cd. What you do with that cd after that is up to you, it's yours you paid for it. if you want to make a copy and then sell the original on ebay- ok. As long as the cd copy is used for your personal use and not sold, it's fine. That's why Cd burners, and all that stuff were made for. creating and copying cds. The artists are rich enough the way it is, they make the majority of their money off of concerts and promotions. There is so much I could say about this matter, but I don't feel like typing all night.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I think were both on the same page, but coming at it from two different angles. I'm not really trying to argue here, just stating some facts about copyright laws and the effects of piracy.

Just to address a couple of copyright myths you mentioned:

1. Once you buy a CD/DVD it's yours and you can do whatever you want with it.
This is false. All you are doing by buying a recording to purchasing the right to utilize it under certain circumstances. You don't own the recording, the artist does. You can't make copies to sell or even give away legally. You can't even legally show a copy of "Lord of the Rings" from Wal-Mart to a high school english class (schools have to purchase special copies of movies to legally show them publically). Lots of people break copyright law everyday, either because they are ignorant of the law or don't care. But it's still breaking the law.

2. CD burners were made for copying CDs
OK, they pretty much were. And the recording industry hates the manufacturers for it. Truth is, again, there's no way to legally copy CDs/DVDs except the personal "safety" copy we discussed above. CD burners are legally only supposed to be used to copy your own work, or work that is in the public domain. Here in Canada they tax blank CDs and DVDs to help compensate artists who loose money to bootlegging with CD burners.

3. The Artists Are Rich Enough The Way It Is
I agree, copying her CD won't bankrupt Madonna. But it might cost the guy who works in the warehouse packing Madonna's CDs his job, or at least his next raise to help feed his family. The record industry has been sideswiped by illegal music downloading. I did a job at Universal Music last year and heard about and saw the effects of this myself.

It's just like those commercials before the movies say - piracy doesn't really hurt the "big people" but it costs everyone else in the entertainment industry - secretaries, warehouse people, recording engineers, film crews, etc. - billions of dollars every year. The CEO of some huge entertainment company won't cut his salary because he's lost millions this year; he'll cut the salaries of the "little people" who work for him.

 

[dmx10101]

Ok, there the thing I get some of those points, but your missing the point of some of my points. I'll go by # of yours.
1.- A cd once you buy it is really yours, I hate whm the industry tries to tell you that you dp really own it. You DO own it, it's not rented. The artiest my have come up with the material, your not coping their lyrics and singing them and then making money off of them. Take my point where if you bought cds and then copied them all and sold the orginals on ebay. And them somebody buying those orginals off ebay from you. That is the same as if you went into a used cd shop and bought a used cd. There is no LOSS TO THE INDUSTRY. that copy you kept is being used for your sell your not making money off of it. It's the same as if you sold the cd without making a copy. if you make a copy you can just still enjoy it. So how is the industry losing money off of that. They're not. Like I said as long as your not making copies and then selling those copies, the recording industry is not losing any money.
2.- CD burners as ytou said were made for coping music. Not many people buy it JUST to make a safe copy of something. Cd burners are so common and cheap now that most people have them.
3- refer some back to my #1. Also music downloading doesn't keep people from buying cds. It my a few people, but the majorty still buy cds too. I download music, but I buy CD's all the time too. I down music that is hard to find, not published instrumentals, and songs from artists that I only like that song of. I somebody like a certain artist, they most likely buy the cd, to support them and because it has the little booklet and case and all.

Also, about that public performance thing, is there really a need for that, no. At my old schools, teachers would go rent movies from Blockbuster and then show them to us. There's nothing wrong with showing a regular movie to a small group of people.

The majority of those copyright laws are bogus and aren't that important. People violate those things everyday, that the really arent laws anymore.

 

[PukkaPukka]

Educational Usage

"You can't even legally show a copy of "Lord of the Rings" from Wal-Mart to a high school english class (schools have to purchase special copies of movies to legally show them publically)"

-- I'll just say read my post on Copyright Law & The "Fair Use" Doctrine on that one...it's got the statute verbatim, and education is exempt from violation because it is purveying enrichment in a classroom environment (and yeah, you could get really ambiguous with a lot of those statements, but my post pretty much sums the law side of it up directly from US Code). I would also agree that yes, a heck of a lot of us break infringement every day, but, well...just read my post everyone. Thanks once again, Buck! We need more clarifiers here like yourself!

>Adam

 

[PukkaPukka]

Another thing...

And yep, I'm aware that the same copy that you buy from Wal-Mart of, using your example, LOTR, for your own private home viewing is not usable in a classroom setting (b/c it was not where its intended viewing was to take place and other conditions), and a copy specifically for that purpose must be purchased or - like what most schools do - rented from places like Blockbuster or Hastings. So yeah, you're right...but it's all based on the explicit intent of the purchaser's venue of transmission. Thanks!

>Adam

 

[PukkaPukka]

...to DMX

"The majority of those copyright laws are bogus and aren't that important...[and] they really aren't laws anymore."

Well DMX, to tell you the truth about the LAW (singular) on copyright, pretty much everything Buck said about legality above is correct, and where he's not as accurate as per the law statute, just take a gander at my postings on the subject in the thread I've made, it'll clear everything up. And yes, they [IT] is still the law of the land yesterday, today, and into the future, unless some circumstance comes up and changes it drastically.

>Adam

 

[dmx10101]

Uh, I'll check it out.

 

[Smy Guiley]

Wow, I go to bed and everyone goes nuts.

I think you were all missing the humour in my post. Unfortunately, there's no smiley for "sarcasm" so from now on I'll just type this

:sarc:

How's that?

Of course, people need to excercise some logic in copying. I know that all the copying I did from my LP's is fine. You can't rent movies and keep a copy. This was very popular in the 80's, but that doesn't make it right, especially since you can come out of it with a near-perfect copy nowadays. Did you know that in the mid-70's there was a format of rental video tape (called, oddly enough, "VCR", a bulky predecessor to VHS) that when you rented the tape, you could only watch it once? You couldn't even rewind it yourself! There was a special machine for that back at the rental place! So if you missed a piece, that's it! That's a little harsh, if you ask me.

That point about bankrupting Madonna is funny. Can't you just see her showing up at your door in a tattered bathrobe looking for a handout? It's true, rock stars don't need any more money. Ever watch "Cribs"? 'Nuff said. IMHO, downloading is not the downfall of CD sales. BAD ALBUMS are the downfall of CD sales. Once services like the iTunes Music Store take off, and they see that everyone is just downloading the one good song from each album, hopefully they'll see that they need to make a good album for us to buy the whole thing. There's just no way I'm paying 20 bucks for one good song. The disappearance of singles from the marketplace has forced us into a position where we have to either buy an entire album to get that one catchy one-hit-wonder, or download it from someone else. In the past few years, I've been lucky enough to still have a guy that can get me vinyl 45 singles. That way, I bought "Mambo #5" with a clear conscience, for only a few bucks, and I know for sure (I've heard it) that I wouldn't have liked the rest of the album. Even these pressings are getting harder to find, as they believe most people have CD jukeboxes now, and don't need the 45's anymore, so I'm in the same position as everyone else.

But that's just my opinion. :sarc:

later
eric