Legal information...

[Thommers]

People are trying to tell me now I can't copy my own DVD's to DVD-R's and what not. But that's not the real problem.

I was wondering if am I allowed to copy another person's DVD movie (i.e. friend) and give them the copy?

Someone tried to tell me that only the owner of the DVD movie can copy his own DVD movie for himself. A person who knows how to copy a DVD movie cannot help another person copy their DVD movie?

[macleod]

I think those people that are telling you that need to quit watching Matlock

There are a number of threads, but what I have gleened from them is that the only thing that is illegal (and I am making the assumption we are talking US law here) is to break the encryption (CSS, macrovision). You can back up your legally owned dvd's and I believe that would also apply for you doing this for a friend.

Unless the MPAA and RAAI have their flippin' way, it is doubtful that you would be in any worse trouble if you backed up your friend's legal owned dvd ONCE, gave him the backup and then deleted it from your hard drive.

Sorry, still reeling from the post this morning about a bill stating will get 3 years in jail for having a prereleased movie in your shared folder. Maybe they all need to start making some better movies to explain why they are losing money. PS (and I am joking here), anybody want a copy of Elf? I saw that the other night and actually left. Hmm, wonder if I can get 1/2 my money back (rhetorical question).

[coyote]

Actually, technically, simply breaking the copy protection at all is illegal. Thats why they put it on in the first place. That's why all the commercially available software from companies in the United States (we are still talking US Law - not international) have those little blurbs reminding you that their software is not meant to copy commercially available movies.

Having said that...it is a country thing. If you were in Malaysia for instance, almost anything goes.

[Thommers]

Thanks for the help.

Macleod, you can actually get your money back from a movie you already watched half, or all the way, through. I used to work at a Cinema and one guy would always buy a ticket, watch the whole movie, then complain about it and get his money back afterwards. I think they usually print something on the ticket that says if you're unsatisfied with the movie you can get your money back.

What I don't understand is how can any company sell encryption breaking software if it is illegal to break it in the first place?

[coyote]

It is illegal in the US.
It isn't illegal in every country on the planet....so if the company is based in a country where it is not illegal, the united states can't touch them.

[FOO]

Unless of course it wants to go ahead and take over the country.

[jaxxboss]

HAHA.
I hope ur not referring to a recent event within the past few months or so. I can think of a whole lot better countries to "Take Over", I prefer to call it taking out the garbage.