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UK Copyright and related rights regulations 2003

Discussion in 'High resolution audio' started by wilkes, Nov 10, 2003.

  1. wilkes

    wilkes Regular member

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    http://www.patent.gov.uk/copy/notices/2003/copyria.pdf http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2003/20032498.htm#26
    This is seriously bad news for all of us in the UK. Under this new law, rushed through parliament in 6 days, all forms of private restoration of vinyl to CD/DVD is now a criminal offence, as well as even owning any program or device designed to circumvent copy protection.
    This means your DAT machines, any CD copying software, and potentially even CD-R/W & DVD-R/W devices are included.
    I am now awaiting the outcome of a solicitors report on this, but it appears that we are in deep doodoo.
    One of the biggest problem areas is outlined http://ukcdr.org/issues/eucd/ukimpl/critique_uk_impl.html
    take very good notice of the section relating to Professional Music Studios.
    Please take the time to read this, as there can be no doubt at all that the BPI is going to come after us with all guns blazing. It would seem, without being too cynical, that the industry is trying to put us out of business to bolster it's own fall in studio bookings.
    Ain't it grand?

    ------------------
    www.opusproductions.com

    PS - many thanks to the AfterDawn newsletter for pointing out that this is now LAW. It has simply been ignored by our media in the UK.
     
  2. chthomson

    chthomson Regular member

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    It is unfortunate that Europe and the United States did not follow the Canadian solution to music copying. Rather than fight personal music copying they leved it(read tax)instead. (See http://neil.eton.ca/copylevy.shtml#what_is_a_levy) So if I pay a "tax" on my blank recording media (tape - CD - DVD - MP3 storage) to compensate the recording artist for my personal recording then can you add protection to stop me from making a personal copy ??
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2003
  3. wilkes

    wilkes Regular member

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    This is a very good question, and it depends entirely on whether or not the current definition of DVDA remains "software". If it remains this way, then the IP and patent lawyers will win the day, and we will not be able to make digital copies.
    There will always be the means of making analogue copies, though, especially with DVDA, and I would say that if this is done with high quality ADC's in line that instantly turn the stream back into Digital, any loss in quality is going to be so small as to be imperceptible.
    Not much consolation, but these days the Lawyers and Accountants call the shots!
     
  4. wilkes

    wilkes Regular member

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    here's an interesting little document I ran across. Everybody who is serious about protecting their rights to make backups of their legally owned music & software should read this. It seems OT at first, but is a fine example of how Patent lawyers and their like think.
    Think very carefully about the implications, and then remember that Yamaha have already withdrawn ALL their computer-based CD-R/W drives now, plus Elby have withdrawn Clone CD due to "the current legal situation".
    Call me paranoid if you like, but I honestly believe that the day is coming when computer based writing hardware will be banned to all private users.
    They are trying to put the genie back in the bottle, and I bet the guy at IBM who said in the early seventies that "I believe the world market for Personal Computers will be about 10 units, as I cannot imagine any reason why anybody would ever want one in their homes" now feels a bit silly. The corporations didn't see this one coming, and if you could take a straw poll of any government in the world, asking them with hindsight what technology they would prevent if they could, the answer would be an overwhelming majority saying "PC's and the Internet".
    Just my thought for the day.
     

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