Copy Right Rules change..

[empulse]

<p>here is the basics of what change has occurred:</p><p style="margin-left: 40px">Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and that require the original media or hardware as a condition of access, when circumvention is accomplished for the purpose of preservation or archival reproduction of published digital works by a library or archive. A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace. </p><p><br />The rules also allow teachers to copy &quot;snippets&quot; from DVDs for educational compilations. </p><p>Also for the blind you're now free to have third-party software read copy-protected electronic books.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I am happy. this a step in the right direction.&nbsp; I don't run around advocating piracy, but I do have every Nintendo game ever made, and emulators on my Xbox, PSP, and PC.&nbsp; Now there is one less reason for the feds to kick down my door and drag my screaming into the night.&nbsp; My significant other is a teacher, so this is good for her, and my dad is blind.</p><p>Just thought this might make some people happy.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br /><br />&nbsp;</p>

[HeyGuy]

I'm not a lawyer so all this confuses me. The thing that has always confused me about file sharing is how do they know who is sharing? If your sharing for personal use and not to sell then how is that a bad thing? It seems to me an internet version of copying a friends tape back in the day? Now its like having more friends to trade with.

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by Campo on 11-30-06 @ 12:54 AM</span>

[PapaBear]

<p>how do they know who is sharing? </p><p>They're allowed to spy on your computer. If you have music files and a sharing program installed, they can fine you, even if you aren't sharing any of the songs.</p>

[HeyGuy]

<strong>PapaBear</strong> wrote:<br />how do they know who is sharing? <p><font style="background-color: #ffff00">They're allowed to spy on your computer.</font> If you have music files and a sharing program installed, they can fine you, even if you aren't sharing any of the songs.</p><p>How do they do that? How is that even legal? Is this a patriot act thing?????&nbsp; And theres nothing we can do about!!! Yeah were a free country!</p>

[PapaBear]

It came before the Patriot Act. They're allowed to, because they are huge corporations that have a lot of lobbyists. That's all it takes to get what you want in America. Now that I've said that, if I don't live through the night, I'd just like to say how much fun it's all been. I'm a marked man, now.

[UnknownPD]

<strong>Campo</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>PapaBear</strong> wrote:<br />how do they know who is sharing? <p><font style="background-color: #ffff00">They're allowed to spy on your computer.</font> If you have music files and a sharing program installed, they can fine you, even if you aren't sharing any of the songs.</p><p>How do they do that? How is that even legal? Is this a patriot act thing?????&nbsp; And theres nothing we can do about!!! <font style="background-color: #ffff00">Yeah were a free country!</font></p><p><font size="2">They are not spying on your computer, but monitoring download services. The courts have allowed them (Entertainment Industry) to access ISP records etc and see who downloaded they're copyrighted material or certain programs. The industry has then pursued these people.</font></p><p><font size="2">Before you freak and start screaming you might want to check out what is actually happening. &nbsp;Do a quick google search and the process is explained it may not be as scary as you think</font></p><p><font size="2"></font></p><p><font size="2"></font></p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by UnknownPD on 11-30-06 @ 10:29 AM</span>

[EliSnow]

<p><strong>Campo</strong> wrote:<br />I'm not a lawyer so all this confuses me. The thing that has always confused me about file sharing is how do they know who is sharing? If your sharing for personal use and not to sell then how is that a bad thing? It seems to me an internet version of copying a friends tape back in the day? Now its like having more friends to trade with. <span class="post_edited">This message was edited by Campo on 11-30-06 @ 12:54 AM</span> </p><p><font face="Arial" size="3">Every&nbsp;unauthorized copying of a copyrighted material is a violation of the copyright law, <u>except</u> to the extent that the copying can be considered &quot;fair use.&quot;&nbsp; There are (I think) four factors as to whether something is fair use, and things like copying for educational purposes or for reviews (like movie reviews) is permitted.&nbsp; One of the factors is (paraphrasing) whether the copying affects the market for that product.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Supreme Court has held that VCR and VCR copying is fair use by using the factors.&nbsp; </font></p><p><font face="Arial" size="3">File sharing is technically a violation unless it's fair use.&nbsp;&nbsp; If you are sharing files with millions of people, it's likely not fair use, regardless whether you sell it or not, because such copying and distribution is likely to damage the market for that product.</font></p><p><font face="Arial" size="3">As an example, let's say you have a new Harry Potter movie coming out.&nbsp; And you have two people distributing hi-def versions of the movie online before opening day for the movie in theaters.&nbsp; One person is selling copies, the other is doing it free.&nbsp; Neither is fair use because both people by distributing these copies are damaging the market for the product because people downloading the movies (whether they pay or not) are unlikely to go to a theater and pay to see the movie.</font></p>