Grey area -legal or not?

Question

This really bugs me. I own a lot of music on vinyl, and have downloaded some of it in mp3 format. Is it right that people should have to pay again for music which they have alrady paid for albeit in a different format? I would be accused of illegal downloading were I to do so illegally, but why should I have to pay twice? How do others feel? There are too many grey areas in file sharing...

Answer 1

A little "Q&A":

But if I've bought something, can't I use it however I like?

Just buying a copy of a book, CD, video, computer program, etc. does not necessarily give you the right to make further copies (even for private use) or play or show them in public. The right to do these things will generally remain with the copyright owner, whose permission you would need. You should note that photocopying a work, scanning a work to produce an electronic copy and downloading a copy of a work which is in an electronic form (eg. on a CD-ROM or an on-line database) all involve copying the work so that permission to copy is generally needed.

Basically, it's down to the copyright "owner" as to how it can be used. I certainly would NOT pay again for something I have already bought. I don't see the point of owning 300 CD's, then I have to go to the iTunes store to get them yet again so I can use it on my iPod. If I have a way to convert it, then I am certain I will convert it. I would love to see them try and stop me...

What you would usually find stamped somewhere would be something like "for personal use only" - and I stand firm that this includes converting the content to use on my iPod. That is still "personal use".

Answer 2

omg omg omg omg omg oh my god u pay for downloads lol

Answer 3

This is an interesting question, although you can pick up a converter that will convert your vinyl records to MP3 fairly inexpensively.

To be technical about it, it's not even legal to rip CDs to a computer, but everyone does it anyway. In fact, the converter I mentioned wouldn't technically be legal either. Put it this way, unless you're making money from downloading illegally (selling illegally downloaded material etc) then it's unlikely you will be prosecuted unless your ISP notices that you're doing so (and not many ISPs are actually checking...yet). You have a stronger case, that you already own the original vinyl: others have never paid for music for years.

Yes, there are legal grey areas surrounding filesharing, and yes, they're annoying - but surely someday filesharing laws are either going to have to be strictly enforced (which is the way the UK government and music labels want to go) or be dropped (which is what most people, aside from major music labels, want).  

Answer 4

As you already have the music & have already payed for it it isn't technically illegal to download other copies of it. It's simply akin to recording your vinyl record onto a cassette to listen to in the car...

Answer 5

well, i think just downloading it is wrong.  so many people can (and do) just get away with downloading stuff, using that as an excuse.  there's no way to track whether they have already bought the music or not.

but if you already have the vinyl, then it is completely legal to convert it into an MP3.  the same for ripping a CD onto your computer.  the tricky part is that you don't really own the rights to the song, just the rights to listen to it.  so if you want to get it in a different format, or even if you've lost the CD, there's not much you can do short of illegally downloading it or just buying another copy.  haha, musicians don't make much anyway.  i don't mind helping them out much.

now why we can't rip movies "legally" is a mystery.  i see it as the exact same thing as music.

Answer 6

The UK is cracking down on p****y, you can change file formats but not fileshare !! Free music most of the time is illegal. If you think this is junk remember this,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/35... and this http://www.out-law.com/page-6747  

Answer 7

well I know that for computer games that if you already own the games you can download a rom of it onto your computer and it's legal

I would think the same sort of thing is legal for music as well but who knows could be illegal still