I have read many posts similar to this one, but none seem to answer the question. I know what the inventor of the programs got in legal trouble, but does that make it illegal to have a copy on your computer?
the software is not illegal. however backing up dvd's that you dont own is illegal (here in the USA anyway). In the USA if you own the original disc you are allowed to make 1 back up copy of it. shrink & decrypter are not solely for making illegal copys - if you had home video you wish to put on dvd you can use these programs to do so & there is nothing illegal with that. i hope this answers your question
Yeah as long as you have the original DVD then your fine to back it up. No one would ever admitt this but Im sure there are a lot of people out there that pirate movies. But like gjl2002 said, you can use these for other video problems and purposes you might have.
hi i do believe that even in the states, or anywhere that has copy right laws. that you are breaking that law if you copy a protected disc, to copy said disc you have to break the protection on that disc therefore making it an illegal copy. you may own the disc, but not the content so therefore your not allowed to make even 1 copy
agreed; today after recent court decisions concerning "fair Use" it is now considered illegal to copy even one "protected" disc. The BSA and others would love to track down every copy of the deCSS code and all the DVD ripper programs like Shrink, etc. But, SHOULD it be illegal to "back up" that which you paid for..of course not..Guns are legal to own and should be...it's how you use the technology that makes the difference. Just because a computer programmer makes a very weak encryption code, and another brighter hacker exposes "poor coding" that shouldn't be a crime...heck it only stimulates the companies to work harder! and make better encryption.
It's legal to copy a movie that you own, but it's illegal to break the copy protection on a disc. I own very very few movies & TV shows that are not encrypted at all, so technically those I can make a backup of. However in my opinion you should be able to protect your investment if it's a protected disc or not. As mentioned before, it's all about how you use it! Some people use it for 100% legal purposes, other use it to pirate movies. And to be frank, there's aboslutly no way they can catch every pirate out there, I hate to say it but they can make all the laws they want and granted they will catch a few people but there will be tons more out there. It's just one of those situations! And that's my rant to for day =) EDIT: Here's an interesting situation: If my friend and I both own "Waiting..." and he makes a backup of his copy technically it's illegal because be broke the encryption. Now if I borrow his backup copy and made on for myself would it be illegal? I own the original copy and I never broke any encryption.....
Well, technically you both violated the Studio's Copyright, like the other guy said..you bought a single copy of a movie..you didn't really purchase the intellectual property ON the Disc...and according to the lawyers the makers of the DVD are not going to "guarentee" for life the quality of the dvd..if you could make them replace it for your lifetime then we wouldn't need to make "backup" copies. If you've notice the NEW FBI warning on the DVDs? the new one includes the words "infingement without Monetery Gain", please excuse spelling. It's all b.s. anyway...just how many times do we really take down that copy of the movie and watch it anyway? The truth be told...we're just "Collectors" the 1000's of movies we "backup" usually get watched maybe twice a year at most anyway.
it's a very grey area, but i think so long as the back-ups are sitting on your shelf you have nothing to worry about. i don't think the feds will be kicking in your door anytime soon. however if you decide to take them all to a flea market & sell them you may have problems. the programs themselves are not illegal but using them to break copy protection is. i know you don't own the material on the disc but my understanding of it is that you have purchased the right to view it & by making a back up you are just protecting your investment & it is only going to be viewed by you for which you have paid for the right. as for TV shows VHS recorders have been around forever & i have never known of anyone getting busted for recording the latest episode of American Idol LOL so i dont see how it is any different by putting a TV show on disc. & THATS THE CASE FOR THE DEFENSE YOUR HONOR!!!! LOL
gjl2002 I think you are right on this matter. It is LEGAL to back-up movies that you own in the USA. However It is not limited to 1 copy as you stated you can back-up as many copys as you like, however it is ILLEGAL to sell them or display them in public. I own a video store, I can legally back-up copys however I can not play the copys in my store(display them in public) I can however play the copys in the privacy of my home. It is legal to have the programs on your computer as long as you use them legally. In the USA It is legal to make back-up copys and remove the protection!!! (I can even modify if I wish to, however I can-not view it in public or sell it.) It is Illegal to remove the protection from the original movie!!! (It is ILLEGAL to modify the content or remove the protection on the original disc, The original disc is the only one I can display in public or resell.) That is where the diffrence lies.
