Copying CDs could be made legal

Many people back up their music onto computers or recordable CDs
Copying music from a CD to a home computer could be made legal under new proposals from the UK government.

Millions of people already "rip" discs to their computers and move the files to MP3 players, although the process is technically against copyright law.

Intellectual property minister Lord Triesman said the law should be changed so it "keeps up with the times".

Music industry bodies gave a cautious welcome to the proposals, which are up for public consultation until 8 April.

The changes would apply only to people copying music for personal use - meaning multiple copying and internet file-sharing would still be banned.

Owners would not be allowed to sell or give away their original discs once they had made a copy.

Sales concerns

"To allow consumers to copy works and then pass on the original could result in a loss of sales," the proposals warn.

UK music industry body the BPI said it supported the move to clarify the law for consumers, but warned that any changes should not damage the rights of record companies.

The Association of Independent Music (Aim) said the proposals did not go far enough - pointing out that CDs could become obsolete in the next decade.

It said that, once CDs are replaced, the law could be misused to "open the floodgates to unstoppable copying", adding that it would like to see copyright holders compensated when music was copied.

Lord Triesman said the proposed changes would explore "where the boundaries lie between strong protection for right holders and appropriate levels of access for users".

The proposals also suggest schools and libraries should be given greater flexibility in how they use copyrighted material like CDs and DVDs, and suggests parodies of songs and films could be made exempt from copyright law.

The consultation follows the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, which recommended that aspects of the intellectual property system should be reformed.

Maybe so, but I think this is more of a case of the music business playing catch-up than anything else. What made mp3s popular in the first place were peer-to-peer filesharing programs like Napster or Kazaa - both around before iTunes - and their popularity blew record companies' business models wide open. It's the technology and people's adaptation to it that has rendered CDs obsolete rather than evil corporates - for once they were behind the game. In London at least, the big music retailers (those still in that business) have been offering in-store downloading for a good while now.

To my mind what's being suggested actually makes some sense. Plus there's plenty of ways around copy-protection - and it's a complete irrelevance if you own a vinyl source recording.

I think record companies were lose more money in the long term with Mp3 format. Consumers will download their favourite tracks off the album instead of paying full price.

I guess it will help up n coming artists make a name without breaking the bank.

I prefer vinyl myself - dread the day I'll walk in to HMV and just see laptops and a slot for your creditcard.

Have written on this quite a few times. People don't like MP3's and MP3 players as the format is intangible, it'll never take over from CD's. The convenience factor makes it popular but they've created a separate market and the music industry is in a strangle hold because of it, forget the number of people who have lost their jobs but its quite a few. A lot of musicians and people in the industry have been complaining but they aren't being given airplay, Sony for example have their own downloading service and MP3 players out and if they can cut out the middle man and have consumers buying direct they're not complaining. They've updated the packaging, put DVDs in with the CDs and fancy art work but the whole industry is in 'turmoil'... mostly the distribution companies that are being hit which in turn effects the small record shops, major ones like HMV can afford to buy in goods themselves.

Could go on but wont, digital culture is looking cold at the moment, all those kids out there with ''nothing to do'' seem to have all of their senses catered to entertainment wise, free downloading, free films, games galore and yet theres still a problem, wasn't so long ago the record shop was the center of the town for school / college / university students but they're closing down one by one in replacement for a digital era.

Call it 'killer convenience'.... the same extends toward the gradual death of the butchers and other trades swallowed up by large corporations.

Making it legal to copy CD's means that it'll be legal to copy DVD's, films, games, software and so on as it is in India and other places where there are no copywrite laws. They won't allow it to go that far as it'll effect the economy, more people would loose their jobs and so on. Can't bet Bill gates won't be happy. .lol.

Can't beat it.

Bismillaah. Salaam/Peace. Actually, it has to do with 'change.' That is it! Don't expect the player, computer, whatever to be around for very long. No sooner will a new product hit the market, then it will start into decline. Computers are already being recycled. I'm not even putting this into its proper perspective. But, I am not a geek in this technology. I buy as few items as possible. I can never expect to keep up with all of the stuff that this industry can produce. And I am talking long term. This isn't a secret. I heard about this as far back as the 1980's. Choose wisely!



Wassalaam. OriginalBM