The Institute for Public Policy Research has published a report asking for a reform of UK copyright law to accommodate the digital age and the MP3 generation. The problem pointed out in the research is that the UK does not have any private copying provision in its legislation, and there is no broad right such as fair use in the United States. This means that millions of users infringe copyright every day when they rip their CDs and copy them into their iPods.
I count myself as one of those who knowingly infringe copyright law every day, with my iPod, so any calls for reform must be welcome. What good is legislation that is flaunted every single day by commuters everywhere?
5 Comments
Ilanah · October 31, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Every time I play a CD using RealPlayer, it offers to copy the contents on to my computer. I assume that RealPlayer is kindly helping me to take advantage of the US home-library exception, but I'm in the UK and it's not very legal here is it?
Andres Guadamuz · November 1, 2006 at 6:08 am
Indeed not. iTunes has the ability to rip iTunes into a CD, again, an infringing practice.
Anonymous · November 12, 2006 at 4:02 pm
I'm looking for the report on the said website, but not sure which one it is, can you give details? Thanks.
Andres Guadamuz · November 15, 2006 at 5:46 am
You need to email to get the electronic version:http://www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=495
Anonymous · November 17, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Got it, thanks!