RIAA question

[Freshgeardude]

ok I've heard like a million of these law suit stories so I got a question. there is a website totally legal here. ok so is it illegal to use download helper(firefox plug-in) download the file which is the song, convert it to mp3 and listen it or lets say give to a friend. not that i give friends but thats usually where ppl get screwed by sharing it.

 

[Injury]

hahaha...

Okay... the lawsuits are for distributing music illegally... or otherwise known as "sharing".

If you haven't paid for the song and nobody has given you the right to reproduce a copy of it, then you do not legally have the right to have the music file on your computer or transfer the music file in any way.


If you're going to go through that much effort, you might as well just get on your favorite sharing program and download whatever trash that site is pushing.

 

[Freshgeardude]

ya but all those programs usually come w/ a lot of viruses

try to think of using the website offline

 

[mugs]

Well I'm not entirely sure what that website is... but I'm going to go with yes it is illegal, but no you aren't going to get in any trouble for it.

 

[Jawo]

Looks like an Indie music site (many references to SXSW...huge independent music festival in Texas every summer)

 

[irishScott]

tnerrottib

read carefully

 

[Kadarin]

IIRC, copyright law allows you to shift formats as you see fit, if it's for your personal use. You do not have the right to redistribute the file. You do not, per the DMCA, have the right to remove any encryption methods (very bad law) that prevent said format shifting.

 

[Freshgeardude]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
IIRC, copyright law allows you to shift formats as you see fit, if it's for your personal use. You do not have the right to redistribute the file. You do not, per the DMCA, have the right to remove any encryption methods (very bad law) that prevent said format shifting.

in simple words................... i can d-load it and convert it and that will be legal but giving to a friend woud be illegal?

 

[DigitalCancer]

exactly.

and that encryption is a load of bull!!

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: freshgeardude

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
IIRC, copyright law allows you to shift formats as you see fit, if it's for your personal use. You do not have the right to redistribute the file. You do not, per the DMCA, have the right to remove any encryption methods (very bad law) that prevent said format shifting.

in simple words................... i can d-load it and convert it and that will be legal but giving to a friend woud be illegal?

IANAL (I am not a lawyer), but I think this is correct. The "giving to a friend", if it is in fact illegal, is certainly unenforceable unless the content is infested with DRM.