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.wma converting legal or not?

Discussion in 'Audio' started by ashroy01, Mar 16, 2005.

  1. ashroy01

    ashroy01 Regular member

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    Hi,

    Needless to say I want to convert my .WMAs to .MP3. Nero won't let me. Is it against the law to do this? I've seen programs advertising they do this, and they're not freeware, so why can't Nero? I just need some clarity.
     
  2. Jeanc1

    Jeanc1 Guest

  3. ashroy01

    ashroy01 Regular member

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    didn't help. don't think dbpoweramp converts, maybe itunes. thanks
     
  4. diabolos

    diabolos Guest

    Look, a protected file no matter what format it maybe is illegal to convert / strip of DRM protection. dBpowerAMP does convert [bold]unprotected[/bold] WMA files but like every other (legal) audio converter app in the world it won't dare attempt to circumvent Micro$oft's DRM protection found in [bold]protected[/bold] WMA files (files that you buy from a music download service like Napster).

    Ced
     
  5. Boogaloo3

    Boogaloo3 Member

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    Why can you not copy to CD files bought and paid for from NAPSTER?

    I thought the whole idea of paying for the music was so that you could do what you want once purchased.
     
  6. diabolos

    diabolos Guest

    Well you see, Napster isn't traditional. Napster lets you download all the files that you want for a small fee every month. Your not paying for the music in terms of ownership per say, your paying for the right to listen to high quality music and fast downloads. The catch is that you must continue to pay the mothly fee. If you stop paying the fee all of the files will become void and then discarded. If they let you burn the files to CD it would strip the DRM protection and they would be powerless against piracy (again). Reals service works in a very similar way.

    iTunes is much better in my opinion be cause they let you burn as many CD as you want with the files that you pay for (too own). Each track cost 99 cent (unless you buy in bulk) and is yours to do will as you please. However, the catch is the only Mp3 player that can play protected AAC (.m4p) files is the iPod and the only software that can decode/play .m4p files is iTunes!

    But remmeber that iTunes can burn CDs of your purchased music. You can rip these CDs to Mp3 (or whatever audio format you like). Napsters only advantage is that you have a wide veriety of Mp3 players to choose from that will play protected WMA files.

    Thats the quick answer :)
    Ced
     
  7. punx777

    punx777 Regular member

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    hey, with napster you can buy tracks for 99 cents each. they have more then just nap-to-go
     
  8. Boogaloo3

    Boogaloo3 Member

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    I don't pay monthly for NApster. I pay per download, just like iTunes. I emaild Napster last night about my issue with this. If I do not get satisfaction from them I will start legal action. They TOTALLY misrepresented the process, and now I am out houndres of pounds!
     
  9. diabolos

    diabolos Guest

    Napster just sucks then. As you can probibly tell I use iTunes which hasn't let my down yet. I would have thought that thier pay per download service would be comprable to iTunes but aparently not.

    Ced
     

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