RE: BD / DVD / CD copy & burn software

itsanss

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Mar 1, 2009
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In reference to my original thread on this topic that is now locked...

I apologize for not being more familiar with Tom's Hardware's forum rules, that's my fault. However, owning media and making a copy of that media for personal use IS NOT ILLEGAL. Check out some Fair Use Policies so you can become more familiar with the laws in the United States of America.

Well, for the first time ever, I reckon I'll have to go elsewhere for the information I seek. How inconvenient. :ange:

Sorry again, sincerely, and thanks for making this forum so great (with exception, of course, of the few users that are -- edited by Moderator) :)

 
Watch the name calling that is plain rude!


DVD copying is a controversial and highly sought-after process. Not sure if what you're doing is legal? CNET sets your mind at ease.

By Jon Jacobi, Don Labriola, and Justin Jaffe
(April 6, 2004)
Reviews
Up until February 2004, 321 Studios' hugely popular line of DVD-copying products, including DVD X Copy, DVD X Copy Xpress, and DVD Copy Plus, gave consumers the power to make backup copies of DVDs--even those with copy protection. But when a San Francisco federal judge ruled that 321 Studios' products were illegal because they circumvented commercial DVDs' antipiracy technology--not because it's illegal to make copies, mind you--the party was over. Since then, 321 Studios has released new, ripper-free versions of its line of DVD copying apps, but these programs are considerably less potent and cannot copy commercial DVDs.

The ability to create copies of the media you've purchased for personal use is a long-accepted facet of the fair-use doctrine in U.S. copyright law (at least, it used to be). However, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) states that it's illegal to break the CSS copy-protection mechanism employed by most commercial DVD movies. What does that mean? Most fair-use advocates say that the policy directly contradicts U.S. copyright law, but the DMCA seems to indicate that you cannot make a copy of a commercial DVD, even for personal use, and you certainly cannot give a copied DVD to anyone or watch copied DVD files on your computer. We assume that fair use will eventually catch up and be established as a safety valve for consumers (which has been the pattern with previous technologies, such as VHS), but for now, the territory is still uncertain and a bit dangerous.