If you choose to believe that the laws as purchased by the recording
industry from congress represent ethics, enjoy your world. The
recording industry will screw artists, consumers, and anyone else who
stands in the way of Mr. Greenback, and will use their money to make
the laws fit this purpose. Please think. Recording a friend's CD is
unethical? Think about what unethical is. The law is not ethics, the
law is not morals. Ask Muhummad Ali. Ask Martin Luther King, Jr.
Yes, ethics matter. But copying a friend's CD is not unethical. And
in the United States, it's not even illegal. You make believe you
know it's illegal to trade MDs. The truth is nobody knows and the
recording industry would never contest the issue in court because
they'd likely loose and the world would laugh in their face, just like
it did with the MP3 debacle.
You know what happened when the recording inustry tried to SUE in
FEDERAL COURT to make selling an MP3 recorder illegal? They LOST.
Big-time. That frivolous, greedy little incident likely cost the
taxpayers tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. THAT'S unethical.
Is it illegal to trade CDs? I don't think so. By the way, the
recording industry would have you believe it's illegal to sell used
CDs. WRONG. It's not unethical and it's not illegal. Just because
the recording industry doesn't get any more money in their pocket
doesn't mean it's illegal or unethical. Trading MDs is a grey area,
yes. But not because it's unethical or immoral. It's a grey area
because the law is so messed up.
You know, every MD that's sold in the U.S. includes a fee that goes to
the recording industry, even if all you do with it is record your own
CDs. You know what? That SUCKS. Maybe that's unethical, eh? The
least you can do is catch a guy a break if, having paid this fee, he
wants to trade MDs with a friend.
Copyright law was meant by our founding fathers to promote the arts
and creativity and strengthen our nation through economic incentives.
It wasn't meant to line the purses of the recording industry. The
recording industry didn't even exist at the time. The recording
industry is not creative. The recording artists are. You think the
recording artists like the recording companies? Hahahhahahaha!
The recording companies STAND IN THE WAY of creativity, day after day
after day, in tis businesss practices and during recording sessions.
And you want to arm them to the teeth with copyright law?
Where is the line? Is it illegal to SELL an MD of a CD? YES. It
may even be unethical. Is it illegal give a CD as a gift? NO. Is it
illegal to give away a home-recorded MD as a gift? Is it illegal in
the United States to record someone else's CD to MD for personal use?
NO. Is it illegal to give it away as a gift? NO. Is it illegal to
trade it? Grey. Is it unethical to trade it? Maybe you think it is,
but please, it's not unethical simply because the recording industry
wants it to be illegal.
You are implying people who trade MDs are unethical. That's pretty
harsh. I'm stating explicitly I think you should think things through
a little more. FYI, I have never traded an MD. I don't even know
anyone else with an MD recorder. Trading MDs is not exactly a pox on
our society. Please, just because someone asks a question about
trading MDs, and if they could be prosecuted for doing so, don't take
some potshot about ethics. It's a very rational question, and it's
not a sign of someone who is unethical. Most likely, it's a sign of
someone who loves music, and who buys lots and lots of music.
Just my opinion of course. I'll never touch the subject again.
Do I think I changed your mind? NO.
Regards to the list, and Merry Christmas, ; ) Steve
On Fri, 24 Dec 1999 15:26:29 +6, in you wrote:
>> I would like to do some MD trading of some popular music groups.
>> However, before I do, I would like to know if it is in violation of
>> the copyright laws to copy and trade minidiscs which have been
>> recorded from an original CD.
>
>Yes, it is, unless you are the copyright owner or have written
>permission from the copyright holder.
>
>> Does anyone have knowledge in this
>> matter?
>
>Yes.
>
>> Could you point me to any links which explains the copyright
>> law?
>
>http://library.stanford.edu/cpyright.html
>
>You might also do a web search on "copyright" and "fair use".
>
>> Has anyone heard of anyone being charged if it is indeed a
>> violation of the law?
>
>Does it matter? Is it "wrong" only if you get caught? Do ethics
>count for anything?
>
>
>=========================================
>Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer
>http://www.cloud9.net/~salzberg
>=========================================
>
>
>
>=========================================
>Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer
>http://www.cloud9.net/~salzberg
>=========================================
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