Ripping CDs now illegal again

murfitUK · 17-07-2015, 17:29

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...-cds-musicians

I am finding it hard to keep up.

Until October last year it was unlawful to copy your own CDs / DVDs for your own use. Everybody did it even though they shouldn't have. Then the government introduced regulations making it lawful. This made not a jot of difference to everyone who did it anyway.

Now the courts have decided that the government's regulations were flawed and should not have been introduced. The regs have been quashed so it is now unlawful once again to copy your own CDs / DVDs. This will make not a bit of difference to anyone as everyone does it anyway and will continue to do so regardless of what the law says or the courts decide.

(Have I got it right so far???)

So, copying your legally bought CDs to MP3 format or ipod or anything else FOR YOUR OWN USE is now unlawful again. (Obviously, copying for the purpose of sharing is illegal - but the court case was not about that.)

The issue surrounds a compensation scheme for rights holders for the loss of revenue they suffer when you copy and convert your CDs to MP3s (or whatever) instead of buying the different format. I think.

The government argued that there was no loss of revenue so no case for compensation, but the court disagreed. I suppose this paves the way for a "tax" on media such as blank CDs or hard drives so that the rights holders get their compensation (compare with blank audio and video tapes from times gone by).

papa smurf · 17-07-2015, 17:34

it probably just paves the way to ignoring it all and carrying on as normal

heero_yuy · 17-07-2015, 17:39

Too late now, my entire library is on the PC at high bit rate and anything else will be a download.

Good thing too as the oldest CDs are starting to deteriorate. I can see through the aluminium layer on some of the earliest ones.

pip08456 · 17-07-2015, 18:37

Copyright holders have been pushing for a tax on blank media for some time. They will get it eventually so stock up now if you haven't got an alternative storage method.

Russ · 17-07-2015, 18:40

Sheer lunacy. There'll be a few token arrests over this but I'm pretty sure it'll soon be forgotten about by the masses judging by how much it goes on these days.

The forum has been a little light on usage from the northern part of Ireland lately...

**Chris** · 17-07-2015, 18:53

Technically, the UK's Copyright, Designs and Patents Act makes *all* unauthorised copying unlawful. It does not have a "fair use" clause, similar to the one in the relevant legislation in the USA. It has always been unlawful to back up or rip your CDs or DVDs to an alternative format.

HMG's attempt to bring the law into line with common consumer practice by the use of regulations is what is at issue here - the courts have simply ruled that the government does not have the power to change the law, or at least change the way the law works, in the way that they have attempted.

Nothing is going to change here. I ripped my first CD to iTunes about 15 years ago and have done so regularly ever since. I have no fear of ever being taken to court over it.

HMG might just now do this properly, and give CDPA a thorough overhaul. But I doubt it.

MovedGoalPosts · 17-07-2015, 19:08

My big concern is if somehow this would lead to a levy on blank media such as hard drives. The reality is there are so many legitimate uses for storage media that to apply a levy because they can be used to duplicate music / movies etc would I hope be more likely to fail than it being ruled unlawful to copy stuff for personal use.

Personally what little music I buy I still do on CD and then rip so I can enjoy that music I legitimately bought wherever I go without carting around a parcel of CDs. I can then enjoy it in the car, on my tablet in a hotel room, or even shock of shocks at home. I don't find enough new music interesting to subscribe to a streaming service. It's cheaper to buy 3 or 4 CDs a year. I don't want an inferior MP3 that I don't own due to weird online licencing rules. I buy the CD and see no reason why I shouldn't enjoy that, for my personal use, in whatever way I want.

Mr Music Mogul, you actually have my money. If you want to discourage me from buying your stuff you are going about it the right way.

**Maggy** · 18-07-2015, 08:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

My big concern is if somehow this would lead to a levy on blank media such as hard drives. The reality is there are so many legitimate uses for storage media that to apply a levy because they can be used to duplicate music / movies etc would I hope be more likely to fail than it being ruled unlawful to copy stuff for personal use.

Personally what little music I buy I still do on CD and then rip so I can enjoy that music I legitimately bought wherever I go without carting around a parcel of CDs. I can then enjoy it in the car, on my tablet in a hotel room, or even shock of shocks at home. I don't find enough new music interesting to subscribe to a streaming service. It's cheaper to buy 3 or 4 CDs a year. I don't want an inferior MP3 that I don't own due to weird online licencing rules. I buy the CD and see no reason why I shouldn't enjoy that, for my personal use, in whatever way I want.

Mr Music Mogul, you actually have my money. If you want to discourage me from buying your stuff you are going about it the right way.

Gary L · 18-07-2015, 09:22

As you were everybody.

it's just another one of them laws that you shrug at and carry on.

techguyone · 18-07-2015, 09:29

Meh, I remember this, back when I used to record the Top 20 of the radio on Sun evening.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_T..._Killing_Music

I expect about as much notice will be taken now as it was then.

papa smurf · 18-07-2015, 10:30

well all i can say is with some of the utter garbage that comes out of my radio the music business should be compensating me for being subjected to it .

Kursk · 18-07-2015, 10:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

well all i can say is with some of the utter garbage that comes out of my radio the music business should be compensating me for being subjected to it .

I agree. The gibbering tripe from the 'hosts' wore me out a long time ago. If I turn the radio on and can't find music after changing channel 3 times, I give up and turn off.

In the good old days, the yap used to be secondary to the music; it's the other way around now and these people have the gift of spouting endless, unmitigated rubbish, often about themselves.

I'm ever hopeful that Chris Evans will be too busy with Top Gear to continue his morning squeal on Radio 2.

TheDaddy · 18-07-2015, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by techguyone

Meh, I remember this, back when I used to record the Top 20 of the radio on Sun evening.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_T..._Killing_Music

I expect about as much notice will be taken now as it was then.

Whilst trying to stop recording before the dj speaks of course

techguyone · 18-07-2015, 18:37

LOL yes, gits always talked through the last bit of the last song

adzii_nufc · 18-07-2015, 18:57

I can't remember having ripped a CD in my life. I'd rather approach this with honesty, as soon as I could get more than 2mbits down I got my music via P2P. At the time I didn't really know any better, It wasn't until the program I was using was taken away that I realized it wasn't to be a guilt-free thing. Looking back and comparing it to more modern applications, you'd realize how garbage P2P files could end up being, it really wasn't worth it.

Now that stuff like Spotify has gone Mainstream I'd like to think I've paid for my sins. I'd like to think many like myself think Netflix and Spotify are well worth the monies.

Game Piracy, something I've never dabbled with, buying games mainly for online playability makes this pointless.

All three however have supporters claiming the right to make backups. Movies, Games, CD's and so forth. I don't really have a strong opinion on it as I've never ripped either.

They're wrong though, I'd totally download a car.