Copying CDs onto your computer is theft
While Mikey G and I were discussing the intricacies of US Copyright Law and duplication rights, it seems the RIAA was busy contradicting us. According to Marc Fisher at the Washington Post, the RIAA is now arguing that it was illegal for an Arizona man to copy music he legally owned onto his own computer.
The industry’s lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are “unauthorized copies” of copyrighted recordings.
“I couldn’t believe it when I read that,” says Ray Beckerman, a New York lawyer who represents six clients who have been sued by the RIAA. “The basic principle in the law is that you have to distribute actual physical copies to be guilty of violating copyright. But recently, the industry has been going around saying that even a personal copy on your computer is a violation.” [ Record Industry Goes After Personal Use ]
