Is it illegal to teach someone how to burn DVD movies and provide them with software??

Answer 1

chslaw parses the question one way, and I would agree with his answer.

Let' me try a different interpretation, and you tell me if it makes sense. Note, this is not legal advice. Whenever your legal rights are at issue, always consult with an attorney licensed to practice in your state.

There are three aspects to the question. First, the physical process of burning data onto DVDs. This is by itself a technical process that is inherently neither legal nor illegal. It is simply a matter of formatting data and putting onto a specific medium. It's like asking if making a VHS recording is illegal. The technical process is not always legal nor is it always illegal. What is legal or illegal is whether copyright or laws are being violated.

That brings us to the second aspect. Where did the data come from. If I personally create a movie, then I hold the copyright to that movie. I can do pretty much anything I want with that movie (the data), including storing it in DVD format on DVD media.

However, if I didn't create the movie, then I either copied it or decrypted it. Bypassing encryption (without a license) falls under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), and was the problem that many DVD copy software producers ran into. Copying data without a license (and beyond fair use) is also a potential violation of Copyright laws. So, while the act of putting data on the DVD itself isn't inherently illegal, doing so as part of making an unauthorized copy would likely be illegal.

Same issue with teaching someone how to burn a DVD or providing software to do so. By itself, the process of making a DVD is not inherently illegal, so I wouldn't expect it to be illegal to teach that process or have software capable of that process. However, teaching someone how to bypass existing encryption to copy a DVD, or using software that bypasses existing encyption, would likely be a DMCA violation.

So, as mentioned above, you would need to be more precise in your question to get an actual answer as to whether any specific act is legal or illega. That's why you would need to speak with a licensed attorney, who would ask the relevant questions before giving legal advice.

Answer 2

You need to be a little more precise with your question. If the DVD is copyrighted, you can make a perrsonal back up copy. You cannot sell or give away the copies that you make. And you can teach someone else how to make DVDs.

The same laws govern the software. You can make a backup copy for personal use. You cannot sell or give away the software while keeping a copy for yourself. There is nothing wrong with teaching others how to use the software.

Answer 3

You can teach them all you want, but to copy a copyright dvd is illegal, also most software says that you can't give sell or copy the program you bought to somone else. It's all in the copyright notice.

Answer 4

No, its not illegal to teach them how or even to supply them with the software(software is legal usually as long as its for personal use only)..........its illegal to sale, distribute, or charge people to watch burned dvd's though

Answer 5

Teach no, Provide software to an individual for illegal purposes..maybe :)

Answer 6

No, it's not illegal to teach or give suggestions to somebody, this is Yahoo! Answers it's what we do. It is however illegal to actually burn the DVD's that is stealing and that is a felony.

Answer 7

provive with software is illegal unless the softwares free. If its for their personal use then yea I think its illegal but just tell them not to go selling them or anything and they'll be fine

Answer 8

yes, it is illegal.The teaching part is not illegal but pirating software sure is.

Just because everyone does it does not make it right.Two wrongs never make a right.

Answer 9

yes. thats illegal software distribution a copywrite violation

Answer 10

If you own it... it's yours to do what ever you want with! As long as you don't try to sell the burnt copies... I believe you can give them away though.