Question About Copying Tapes

[Buck-Beaver]

-- 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

My point was that there are serious limits on what you can and can't do with a copyrighted work, but in retrospect yes, a high school english class was probably not the best example (under US law - other countries are different remember). However - as with most things related to copyright law - the devil is in the details. You cannot use the educational exemption as a license to freely show/duplicate whatever you like, otherwise schools would only have to buy one copy of a textbook and then make as many photocopy as they like!

I am not familiar with the specific classroom limits in the US system, but I do know that some of what is and isn't "purveying enrichment in a classroom environment" has been esthablished, largely through case law so it is not mentioned in the written law itself.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

What if you used a video camera to tape the video from a video store or libary of the TV (like when someone's watching something on TV in a movie). Is that illeagal?

In a word, yes.

In two, highly illegal.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

My friend said it wasn't illeagal (not the one who makes stupid games about flying lamps). I've tried it with my BVHV copy of MFC to make an uncut version and he color and sound was on a 1 to 10 scale a 3.

If you're talking about using a camera to copy a video (and I don't understand why someone would actually do this, but I digress...) it is illegal UNLESS you live in the United States and you have purchased a copy of whatever you are taping (like a DVD or VHS tape) or if it is a show off TV. In both of those cases you could do it, but you are not allowed to make duplicates of the tape or show it publicly.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

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...

Actually, I was saying that illegaly downloading won't bankrupt Madonna (thought that's a pretty hilarious image you conjured up there) but it could mean that some poor schlep working in the warehouse making $8.50 hour could lose their job. When money is tight the first thing a record label does is throw $20 million at a Mariah Carey....

I agree, the state of most albums is awful, but if you actually look at a chart of the growth of downloading and a chart of declining music sales, they are almost inversely proportionate. That's not just a coincidence.

What I think the labels don't realize is downloading has almost stopped growing but crappy albums are going to mean sales will slide even lower.

 

[Smy Guiley]

I agree, the state of most albums is awful, but if you actually look at a chart of the growth of downloading and a chart of declining music sales, they are almost inversely proportionate. That's not just a coincidence.

Of course, that's correct, but my point is that we wouldn't be downloading the GOOD song if the REST of the songs on the album were worth buying, right? OR...if singles were still available for sale on a CD or from artists websites more readily. Some artists are realising this is a viable alternative and it's working! Most of them only charge, like, a buck for the song and then it's yours, just like if you bought a hard copy on a record/disc/tape! You can burn it into a mix if you want because you paid for it.

I don't want to labour the point any further. My point is......Good album: I buy....Bad album with one good song: different story.

eric