Illegal forum topics - where do you draw the line HEXUS?

[directhex]

Out of interest have there ever been any cases on internet forums being sued for content on thier message boards?

yes, repeatedly. "posts are property of their members and not ours" get-out clauses don't always work

hexus would be in poop if people linked to 0-day warez, for example

[autopilot]

that's part of CDPA1988 - recording from the telly is only permitted for "time shifting" purposes; to watch someting at a more conventient time, not to archive it.

Just out of interest, with a Sky+ box, are the programmes deleted automatically after 30 days?

[directhex]

Just out of interest, with a Sky+ box, are the programmes deleted automatically after 30 days?

no. but the T&C 9(a)(i) says you have to observe Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 rules

[Konan555]

17.—(1) The copying of the work is an act restricted by the copyright in every description of copyright work; and references in this Part to copying and copies shall be construed as follows.

(2) Copying in relation to a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work means reproducing the work in any material form.
This includes storing the work in any medium by electronic means.

e.g. Not even the artist is allowed to make a copy of their own records in most cases as they don't own that part of the copyright.

[Konan555]

Then MP3 devices should be banned. Simple, they make people break the law if thats the case.

In most cases, it's not illegal to sell something or own something that when in use causes the user to break the law. Although the current home office would like to see it otherwise.

[dangel]

Just out of interest, with a Sky+ box, are the programmes deleted automatically after 30 days?

Only when it goes wrong..

Sky+ actually doesn't encode recording - it's just dumping the raw stream to disk. When you play it back it decodes it using the same mechanism as for live playback so the data on the disk is always copy-protected and encrypted.

[smtkr]

hex, the laws are not as cut and dry as you make them out to be (at least in the US). We have pretty much the same laws you are citing regarding copyrights, but there are also contradictions in other laws. It stems from legislators not having a clue what they are passing (they don't write the laws, they just ratify them).

Interesting point about iTunes though. You've mentioned that it is illegal to rip an mp3 from a cd and put it on an ipod. Apple would be seriously liable in this case, as (at least in the US) any tool used to break copyright law is illegal. Not only does Apple provide a tool, but if iTunes is open and you insert a cd, it will automatically begin ripping the cd (as far as I've seen from my friends' setups).

Apple is not in trouble because the copyright laws are in a grey area. Additionally, nothing happens in US government without corporate dollars (i.e. apple would have to piss off the RIAA). I imagine it is similar in the UK.

[directhex]

hex, the laws are not as cut and dry as you make them out to be (at least in the US).

the US has "fair use" clauses. the UK does not. therein lies the difference.

[shiato storm]

so the long and the short of it is, MP3's are allowed but only for personal use. so what about all those songs we all have on our hdd's then. that makes almost everyone breaking the law and, I might add, microsoft and accessory to such activities for including ripping ability in their software (mediaplayer) - in fact almost anything with ripping ability!
and if apple only allows the use of 5 devices, what if you had 6? big trouble then!! (apart from being hideously rich)

[directhex]

so the long and the short of it is, MP3's are allowed but only for personal use.

no. ripping commercial music from cd to $not_cd, or making duplicates, for ANY reason other than the provisions for education made elsewhere (and no, nobody here comes udner those headings), is illegal.

so what about all those songs we all have on our hdd's then. that makes almost everyone breaking the law and, I might add, microsoft and accessory to such activities for including ripping ability in their software (mediaplayer) - in fact almost anything with ripping ability!

substantial non-infringing uses. could use it to rip things with expired copyright, or where you own the copyright, or have written permission to rip it from the copyright holder.

and if apple only allows the use of 5 devices, what if you had 6? big trouble then!! (apart from being hideously rich)

that's the license, you agreed to it when usig their service

[shiato storm]

so, everyone I knowis breaking the law...talk about overloading the prison system...or wait, another stealth tax!!

[shiato storm]

so, everyone I knowis breaking the law...talk about overloading the prison system...or wait, another stealth tax!!

[peterb]

so, everyone I knowis breaking the law...talk about overloading the prison system...or wait, another stealth tax!!

Talking of stealth tax, does anyone (else) remeber a proposal (probably late 70's) by the record industry that all blank cassette tapes sold should carry a levy because they were being used to copy LPs. The proposal was (as I recall) about 30p a tape (well over a pound today). It was rejected because the argument was made that tapes could be used for recording non-copyright material and it was unfair to apply a blanket levy. The idea has never (fortunately!) been resurrected - the same case made to CDR would push the price up considerably.

The Itunes software allows streaming to other devices! If you click "share my music" in Itunes it will allow you to stream to 5 other Itunes installations - but no more. Similarly I think you can only register up to 5 ipods at any one time with an Itunes installation.

[directhex]

Talking of stealth tax, does anyone (else) remeber a proposal (probably late 70's) by the record industry that all blank cassette tapes sold should carry a levy because they were being used to copy LPs. The proposal was (as I recall) about 30p a tape (well over a pound today). It was rejected because the argument was made that tapes could be used for recording non-copyright material and it was unfair to apply a blanket levy. The idea has never (fortunately!) been resurrected - the same case made to CDR would push the price up considerably.

other countries have this - canada and the netherlands, for example.

[shiato storm]

not wanting to state the obvious but its something the canada would do

[Konan555]

so, everyone I knowis breaking the law

And there's how things work. Mass disregard for a law is something no Governing powers can do anything about.

Find me someone that's into computers that hasn't somehow managed to break a licence somewhere.

Nor is it likely the police are going to have a crackdown on people making compilation tapes for the car any time soon.

If you start to try and profit from the resale of pirated material, that's where you're going to land in trouble.