iPods and ripping CDs
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) gave us a nice gift last week to celebrate the International Day of the Beast (6/6/6) by announcing that we could rip music into our iPods. Yes, the widely popular practice of making copies of what you have purchased is still illegal, but the kind folks at the BPI have decided to allow us to continue making these copies. In their press statement they declare that making private copies goes against the "All Rights Reserved" nature of UK copyright law. Their representative states that "without specific authorisation,– any UK consumer who rips CDs they have bought in order to fill an iPod or other MP3 player is currently guilty of copyright infringement." However, they promise not to enforce their rights, saying that "if they copy their CDs for their own private use in order to move the music from format to format we will not pursue them."
How kind of them.
Anyway, this has become rather relevant to me because I'm now the proud owner of a shiny 60 GB black iPod just like the one pictured. I have started engaging in illegal activities no longer in fear that the police will break down my door and take my new iPod away. However, ripping an entire CD collection is hard work.
del.icio.us
3 comments:
Nice service! Unfortunately, I have 250 CDs and they charge £200!
I think that I will keep doing it myself.
Shame it doesn't extent to DRM protected materials puchased via legal download services. Given that downloaded music is , or is soon to be, outstripping sales of CDs, isn't this just a case of closing the stable door once the horse has bolted?
Very good point. I'm guessing that the comment is just political. They know they could never get anyone for infringement of copying their own CDs.
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