RIAA's latest round of BS!!

[NightbladeXX]

The following is from the EFF website:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004409.php

RIAA Says Ripping CDs to Your iPod is NOT Fair Use

February 15, 2006

It is no secret that the entertainment oligopolists are not happy about space-shifting and format-shifting. But surely ripping your own CDs to your own iPod passes muster, right? In fact, didn't they admit as much in front of the Supreme Court during the MGM v. Grokster argument last year?
Apparently not.
As part of the on-going DMCA rule-making proceedings, the RIAA and other copyright industry associations submitted a filing that included this gem as part of their argument that space-shifting and format-shifting do not count as noninfringing uses, even when you are talking about making copies of your own CDs:

"Nor does the fact that permission to make a copy in particular circumstances is often or even routinely granted, necessarily establish that the copying is a fair use when the copyright owner withholds that authorization. In this regard, the statement attributed to counsel for copyright owners in the MGM v. Grokster case is simply a statement about authorization, not about fair use."

For those who may not remember, here's what Don Verrilli said to the Supreme Court last year:

"The record companies, my clients, have said, for some time now, and it's been on their website for some time now, that it's perfectly lawful to take a CD that you've purchased, upload it onto your computer, put it onto your iPod."

If I understand what the RIAA is saying, "perfectly lawful" means "lawful until we change our mind." So your ability to continue to make copies of your own CDs on your own iPod is entirely a matter of their sufferance. What about all the indie label CDs? Do you have to ask each of them for permission before ripping your CDs? And what about all the major label artists who control their own copyrights? Do we all need to ask them, as well?
P.S.: The same filing also had this to say: "Similarly, creating a back-up copy of a music CD is not a non-infringing use...."

Posted by Fred von Lohmann at 08:40 AM

-Gotta love the RIAA-

nB

[Derree]

Then what do they make Ipods or other MP3 players...I don't think I will stop putting songs off cd's I own onto my MP3 player

[splean]

^ Lol exactly. Why make MP3 players then? The RIAA makes me laugh sometimes.

[Furiousg]

Very similar to it being quite legal to buy and sell radar detecting equipment for your vehicle, but quite illegal to actually use them.

[splean]

I dont care. I purchased a CD.. it's mine. I will do what I want with it.

[Derree]

Thats they way I look at it too splean...It's bad enough that we have to pay full price for a cd where we only want one or two songs but for them to then tell us what we can do with it...I do the same thing with some of my wretling dvd's have taken matches I liked off of different ones then put them on to a disc so I have a disc of good matches

[codajohn]

The recording industry has been putting out garbage packaged as music for years. It is more important to sell the artists personality then the music. Most of the pop girl divas and boy bands don't even write their own music.
It markets this trash to our younger generation of listeners hoping they won't catch on. The days of going to a pop concert to actually listen to the music are over. The event is what is important. Not the music. The radio stations are also to blame for this magic show. A lot of money changes hands between corporate record labels and radio stations. Don't let anyone tell you different. It (the record industry) wonders why people won't choke down the crap it puts out and then has the nerve to complain that they are not making money. Maybe they shouldn't pay these talentless artists so much money. Spend more money on artist development. The money and greed issue is the root of this problem.
I wouldn't go to a restaurant that serves garbage!
Would you?