What is the privacy act on dvd ??

[Gladd8tor]

Hi ... I am curious as to what the law is when copying dvd movies , Is it okay to copy a movie from the rentel places onto a dvd disc ? What I mean is , lets say that I have a dvd player that records and , I have the movie channel on TV , Is it against the law if I copy the movie onto a dvd disc ? Or even from the rentel places ( Blockbuster ) Can someone please explain how it works ? Reason as to why I am asking is that someone mention to me its against the law to do such , I didn't believe the person because it wasn't never against the law to copy a moive from the TV onto a VHS cassettes , So whats the rules nowadays ? Thanks

[ormonde]

"Is it okay to copy a movie from the rentel places onto a dvd disc ?"

Absolutely NOT...It is illegal.

BTW - welcome to the forums.

[Gladd8tor]

Hi ... Thanks 4 the welcome , Okay what about from the TV then ? If I have thoses pay TV movie channels , Is it okay from there ? Thanks

[ormonde]

" If I have thoses pay TV movie channels , Is it okay from there ?"

I'm not advocating engaging in "ANY" form of piracy, but hey, as far as you are concerned, "See no Evil" - "Hear no Evil" if you know what I mean.

[Gladd8tor]

Oh I know exactlly what you mean lol but , Though i'm still curious as what the rules ( law ) towards this type of copying is ? TIA

[blutach]

@Gladd8tor

We don't know what country you live in (and don't want to know), and more to the point are not qualified legally, so can't give conclusive advice to you.

However, most countries have fairly strict copyright rules, where, if you are not the licensed holder of a piece of property (in this case, a movie), you may not copy it. I suspect that this is equally true for a TV program as it is for a DVD in most jurisdictions.

The fact that you have paid someone to WATCH a show does not mean you have rights to the property; only that you have paid to view - similar to going to the cinema.

That said, people have been recording off their TVs for years. Is it legal? That is something that an IP lawyer in your country can give you advice on.

Regards

[Gladd8tor]

Okay , Thanks everyone for your input , It was appreciated ...

[ormonde]

"Thanks everyone for your input"

Glad (We) could be of help

[guydanieli]

The Stockolm law (Interpol inforce that law) about copyrights says that you cannot make any copy of music, movies etc..on any support except for home use only.
So ,since we invented the tape recorder and taped the radio for your private use in your own house, I do not see any copyright infrengement.
Why a DVD rental house can rent you a DVD? Do they own the copyrights of all those movies?I do not think so...! And they rent them to people .Only the guy who rent the movie can see it or his family can see it too?? You can also go to any electronic store and you will see a lot of TV sets showing movies..Do you think that they pay all the studios or TV stations. I am pretty sure not! And those movies can be see in a public place( Any store) for free! Copyright law is something very foggy. Of course, you cannot copy movies and sell them. But back up your movies or recording your TV,,I think it's your own business.

[blutach]

I am not sure about video stores, but I suspect they pay the copyright holder a sum in order to derive income from the DVDs. Otherwise, what is to stop you from setting up a business and renting out your DVDs?

Not my area of expertise though.

Regards

[guydanieli]

Hi
I suspect them just to buy the disc and rent them. Like all video stores do in Europe. If you by the DVD, it doesn't give you the right to rent it or make a public show with the movie like they do in Circuit city, Best Buy etc... I am a film director and I can tell you that there is nothing wrong to make a copy of your DVD for home use only!!!. EX. when you rent a DVD from Blockbuster etc..What do you pay? The right to see it only. In that fee that you pay to the store one part for the copyriright.So you become legaly owner of the coyright in one way. Because you paid the copyright to the rental house! One part must go to the copyright owner. It's the law.Each time a music plays on radio or a movie is playing on TV, a percentage must go to the copyright owner.
It's why I said that the copyright law is kind of foggy. Make copy , sell them or give them away even for free is prohibited. But in the case of renting movies is another question. It's similar if you make a xerox copy of any material like books, posters, photos of artists etc..)
Very weird and in one way very simple. Copy for private is legal and in another way you cannot copy! If we cannot copy, why we invented the recorder, the VCR, DVD recorder and the TIVO . Here this machine was build to copy TV programs...They are copyrighted too! What do you think? It's like walking on eggs!

[blutach]

Very much like walking on eggs, but in Sweden, your laws are obviously a more liberal than say the USA (where the DMCA has, to date, prevailed over things like the Fair Use Act) and Australia and AFAIK, Germany (where DVD Shrink is releasing a version without De-CSS! akin to Recode) and probably many, many others. In this way, you are very lucky.

As I said, I am no expert in copyright law. Far from it. I do suspect, however, that by renting a DVD, you do not "become legally the owner of the copyright in one way", as you said. I think you simply get the right to view it for as long as you like and must return the store's property to them (or replace it). This is a long way from becoming an owner in any way of a copyright.

Thank you for the stimulating discussion!

Regards

[guydanieli]

You are welcome!
But if you rent the DVD you rent of course the right to see the movie, the store makes a profit, (He cannot only make a profit if he bough the copyright of the movie. It doesn't give you the permission to show the movie inside the video store.You rent the copyright too when you rent a DVD. So I think that for a few days when you rent something you are free to do what you want with it. In private of course!
What about recording radio, TV etc..?
What about showing movies in stores. In my opinion this is copyright infrengement! Because you show the movie in a public place.
This is a very delicate situation. It's like to put a TV in hospital or hotel and a vcr to make you able to record movies that you did not rent. You just rent the Hotel room. The Stocholm law ( I think it's from 1967 ...)is the only international law about copyright! I do not understand why some countries have to make their own law..even on foreigh films.
I even suspect that lawmakers do not know exactely their right about those laws. You know that there is no copyright om movie's titles? I can shoot a movie and take the name Gladiator for example.
Thanks a lot

[fred69lyon]

In my country as, I think, in other countries, the rented DVD are not the same as the one are sold in shops.
Those can be rented are very more expensive when the shop bye them.
The price include the right to rent them.
So you can watch them and you have paid through the rent fee the right to watch them, not the right to copy them.

[ormonde]

"in other countries, the rented DVD are not the same as the one are sold in shops."

This is not completely true - although in some isolated cases (in the U.S.) it may be the case. I think more accurately it depends on the establishment that you are doing business with, but it's most likely the "Exception" not the "Rule".