Page 1 of new cinema release dvds and vcds

Can anyone put me straight on this one?Is it legal to buy newly released cinema films on dvd or vcd,someone told me it was just against the law to sell them.

The purchaser is as culpable as the vendor.

Don`t do it - piracy sucks the big one.

Clayts - this site offers advice and encouragement on defeating macrovision, however isn`t the idea of defeating macrovision so you can copy your dvds onto vhs, and if so isn`t this piracy? Hope this is not too controversial! ;-)

Sorry ChrisD, no. Most people want to defeat macrovision because it causes them some kind of problem - either it bends, warps or creates artifacts in the picture on their particular television, or because they want to pass the signal via a digibox, video or scart box and the macrovision prevents it.

Also, copying your own DVD`s to VHS is not illegal either.

The point of the thread was about buying copies of current cinema releases on DVD or VCD - that is PIRACY, and not to be condoned.

DanB

This item was edited on Wednesday, 12th December 2001, 10:34

> Also, copying your own DVD`s to VHS is not illegal either.

Errr where did you get that Idea from? It is copyright infringement to copy a CD to tape, or vinyal to CD, so why would it be any different to copying a DVD to VHS?

USA "Fair Use" laws don`t apply in the UK, go have a read of http://www.patent.gov.uk/ and http://www.intellectual-property.gov.uk/ to see exactly how draconic british copyright law is.

/me sits back and watches Craig argue with our resident legal beagle

Sorry DanB I think you`re kidding yourself if you think most people want to defeat macrovision because it causes them some kind of problem....etc etc. Reading the postings on this forum and on others it appears the main reason people want to defeat macrovision is so they can record their DVDs to VHS, for whatever reason, although granted it does cause some people problems when they wish to route their DVD thru the VCR etc if they don`t have TV scart socket.

Whilst I do not wish to condone or encourage PIRACY in any way, the point of my posting was that we need to be careful before getting on our high horses about PIRACY because, as Craig Tubby points out, if copying our CDs or vinyl`s to tapes is illegal, as DVD to VHS probably is as well, then many of us may already be guilty of a little PIRACY.

This one sounds like it`s gonna go round and round like the Woolworths thread and the HMV guy who got a `free` CD and video in his bag.

Are you gonna argue that there are different degrees of piracy? So If you make 100 copies of Lord of the Rings and sell them at a market then that`s piracy, but make a compilation tape at home and that`s still piracy. That`s the official line. Read it on any CD/DVD that you have. You can`t even legally show a DVD in a school or on an oil rig (?) unless you have the appropriate permissions. But the likelyhood of the rozzers coming round to infiltrate your copyright infringement syndicate when you tape Eastenders of the telly is pretty slim.

> infringement syndicate when you tape Eastenders of the telly is pretty slim.

Specific exemption - time shifting, your allowed too, but only for time shifting, not for a library of programs.

I definately think its a point where the law is crap. Lets all write to our MPs/MEPs to complain about it. I don`t think there is anyone that can claim they have never infringed copyright, so surely there is something wrong with the law?

I think its quite hard to show what *is* infringement, so lets have a look at what we can do (adapted from the govements website)

1) "Fair dealing" with a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work for the purposes of private study. This may cover the making of a single copy of a short extract of a work or other very limited use of a work, so long as it falls within the scope of the term "private study". This includes study purely for personal enjoyment.

2) A recording of a broadcast or cable programme can be made for private and domestic use to enable it to be viewed or listened to at a more convenient time. This time-shifting exception does not cover the making of recordings for placing in a collection for repeated viewing or listening.

3) Drawing, taking a photograph or making a film of buildings or sculptures and works of artistic craftsmanship in a public place or in premises open to the public.

4) Making a necessary back up copy of a computer program where you are a lawful user.

So there you are. I don`t see "disabling macrovision so you can copy to VHS for a backup" in there at all or even "Copy my CDs to MiniDisc".

Have a look at http://www.intellectual-property.gov.uk/std/faq/copyright/more_faqs.htm for a list of all exceptions.