I have many cassette tapes that I would like on cd. Is it illegal to download the songs from free sites if I have already purchased the material in another format? I don't think I should have to buy something twice because technology has changed. Does anyone know the answer to this?
2006-08-27 13:19:40 · 14 answers · asked by advicemom 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
You bought a personal license to that song, more or less. It's legal to have as many copies of it as you like in whatever format you like, just don't distribute them.
(Want proof? It's not an exact case replica, but it says pretty much what I did:
"Can I rip MP3 files from CDs I already own and copy them onto my hard drive or another media player? Sure, unless the disk includes copy protection that prevents you from doing so. In fact, as long as the files are for your own personal use--which means you don't share them with anyone else--you can make as many copies as you like." http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2112p059id112901.htm )
2006-08-27 13:23:35 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is illegal.
People are right that you may make a copy of your cassette. However, the copy you download is not the one from your cassette. It is a different copy. Not yours, hands off. The issue isn't whether you are going to sell it, the issue is whether you downloading it is a distribution. It is.
The most apt analogy would be books. Do you get to go pick up a free hardcover book because you lost your paperback version of the same book? No, they are different copies.
You are not buying another copy because the technology changed. Your walkman still works. You are buying another copy because you want to take advantage of the new technology.
2006-08-28 11:49:37 · answer #2 · answered by blah 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's illegal - not to mention risky. You have bought a license to own the music on the casette you've purchased and to transfer it to any other device for your own personal use. You have not bought a license for the songs or albums regardless of format.
So you can convert those casettes into a digital format - there's an answer somewhere else on Yahoo answers on how to do that.
I wouldn't recommend downloading from any peer-to-peer networks. Those are both illegal and risky because you may be downloading a virus instead of the music file you're looking for.
2006-08-27 20:30:31 · answer #3 · answered by BigBrother 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should be able to, because when you bought that tape, you bought the right to duplicate it as well. You can download these, however, it would be illegal to sell the CD's after you burned them. But you should have the lisence to that music so i don't see how they could nail you for that. Hope this helped.
[This is based on importing CD's and then putting them on another CD for a friend, but i did not sell the CD. I'm not sure if you can download it from a site, but i'm thinking it should be legal since you own the music]
2006-08-27 20:26:16 · answer #4 · answered by A C ! D 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i bought a toyota camry before airbags were standard, before they had CD players, and before they had power windows or locks. now all these things come with the car, but i still want to have a camry. do i get a free upgrade?
no. it's illegal, even if it's inconvenient.
there are plenty of arguments to justify downloading music, but i don't think that one works. certainly not legally.
2006-08-27 20:28:21 · answer #5 · answered by donlockwood36 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How about this, You purchase a soft drink thru the local drive up and return the following week to refill your cup on the inside of the establisment. Is that theft?
2006-08-28 05:55:10 · answer #6 · answered by HBPD 126 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go ahead and download Musicians that can afford to have a well distrubuted album are to rich anyway. why should someone who has fun all day make millions while joe toilet cleaner cant afford a pot to piss in. skrew musicians and skrew millionaires. download all you want and remember musicians spread greed disease and filth wherever they go. they are all thats wrong with us. they make millions for nothing. music, art and literature need to be banned. BORG FOREVER!!! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!!!!
2006-08-27 20:36:45 · answer #7 · answered by The Burns 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
youdamnedkid is right - if you already bought a copy of that same recording, then you basically own a license to that recording, meaning you can make or obtain as many copies as you want.
Just remember, if/when you sell any of those tapes, you should give the copies along with them or destroy them.
2006-08-27 20:33:59 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
NOT ILLEGAL- there is a right to make copies of Copywritten material for personal use. THATS IT!!!
2006-08-27 21:03:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes ... the idea is pretty much they expect you to pay for every instance you have of anything. theyre even harrassing musicians about posting their own stuff on the internet.
2006-08-27 20:25:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋