Are you a good upright consumer?

[MonkeyCatcher]

I may or may not have MP3s that I didn't pay for...and the fourth season of Sopranos...and some Family Guys from last season...

Which, in my opinion, is no better than buying a CD, copying it and then bringing it back to the store.

Downloading tv shows isn't illegal, is it? No one is losing money or any such thing, as they are viewed free anyway.

 

[mehastings]

Downloading tv shows isn't illegal, is it? No one is losing money or any such thing, as they are viewed free anyway.

I am inclined to believe that it is no different than downloading MP3s. If they wanted them downloaded, they would be placed on the shows website for download. Most shows come out on DVD these days.

 

[Motokid]

Who`s ripping who off?

If manufacturers sold their products at a fair price the public would buy more and not turn to the pirates.

What would be a fair price?

The company that makes the CD's has to pay for the machinery to make them, the building to house the machinery, the people to operate the machinery, the shipping and storage, the marketing and advertising of the artists......and don't forget the contracts and concerts of the artists themselves....

The public does determine the fair price. It's called supply and demand. How much you want/like something determines how much you are willing to pay for it. I've never really cared for Bon Jovi so even if CD prices were 25 cents I probably would not own any Bon Jovi CD's.

You can not justify stealing something based on your biased views of the business world.

And you certainly can't justify stealing art based on your inability to "earn" enough money to pay for it in an honest fashion.

 

[moonshot]

Justify stealing? It`s only an opinion. Someone may condemn downloading Mp3 files or returning a cd once copied,( rightly so). But that someone may takes a paper clip from an office, make a private call on an office phone or may be stealing 5 minutes for a quick fag in working hours, but to them this would seem OK.
Like wise we in Britian are a soft touch. We will pay the higher prices the manufacturer asks for cds, dvds, videos, games, cars etc.
If I buy a cd I should be able to make as many copies as I wish for my own use, not have my cd copy protected. Why can`t I but a dvd with only the film on it I want to watch and not have to pay more for another hour or so of bonus features I don`t want. Yes we are being ripped off. Someone is stealing from us.

 

[Motokid]

If I buy a cd I should be able to make as many copies as I wish for my own use, not have my cd copy protected. Why can`t I but a dvd with only the film on it I want to watch and not have to pay more for another hour or so of bonus features I don`t want. Yes we are being ripped off. Someone is stealing from us.

Do you do this with books? Do you wish to make many copies of books you buy?

They are copy protected because of people like Ms. They are copy protected to keep people from stealing the material. They are copy protected for a very good reason. If you were the artist you would want and demand the same thing. Look at it from the point of view of the artist.

And the "bonus" stuff is included because the general public wants it there most likely. I'm sure there is plenty of market survey information to suggest people want it.

You are only being "ripped off" if you are being forced to part with your money. To this day I've never had anyone in a music/book/dvd store put a gun to my head and force me to hand over my money in exchange for a product they are selling.

 

[lies]

Moto, it is legal to make copies of the albums you own for your own use, so I think the copy protectedness of some of the CDs we buy is a bit of an oxymoron.

 

[Zolipara]

Even though its pretty easy to break the copy protection on cd's i refuse to buy any records from artists that sell their records with copy protection.

 

[Motokid]

Do you refuse to buy books from authors who copyright protect their books?

Making copies for yourself is not the issue. It's the easy with which copies can be made for literally thousands of other people from one cd that's the issue.

Ms. buy's, burns, returns for full money back....don't blaim the artist and the recording company for copyright protection...blaim the consumers like Ms. and others who desire to rape the system and make things worse for the honest purchaser.

 

[Zolipara]

Do you do this with books? Do you wish to make many copies of books you buy?

You cant really compare books and music because they are very different media. You cant easily copy books like you can with music. You dont have many different formats where you can read your book. If you really wanted to make a copy of the book, there is no copy protection stopping you from scanning a copy or making a simple paper copy. If you buy a CD intending to play it on your computer, but because you have linux or mac you cannot play that particular CD unless you break the copy protection. Or maybe you want to have your cd on your computer, on your cd-player, in your car and on your mp3 player. When you buy the CD you get the right to play the music wherever you want, not just on a few sanctioned players. Copy protected cd's dont work on all normal cd-players either, and others will in fact intentionally prevent you from playing it on your computers cd-player. If you buy a copy protected cd that you cannot play on your normal cd-player you were in fact regularly screwed by the company selling the CD.

 

[Motokid]

If you buy a copy protected cd that you cannot play on your normal cd-player you were in fact regularly screwed by the company selling the CD.

No, you're not. You return it for a full refund.

By the way, I've never had this problem. Every cd I've ever bought plays on computer at home, computer at work, car, boombox, and cd player.

 

[Zolipara]

Yes atm not too many cd's are protected but the number is increasing and its the intention of the record industry to have copy protection on all cd's. Read up on the future plans concerning DRM and Trusted computing. Your rights as a consumer is diminishing rapidly in favour of the rights for a few large companies.

 

[Motokid]

no...your rights are being infringed upon because of people like Ms. and others who illegally copy and sell other peoples art.

If everybody who copied cd's was only doing it for themselves, there would be no issues like this.

You can still make cassettes right? The issue is bootlegging and outright theft of art and music.

 

[Zolipara]

Copy protection on cd's does absolutely nothing to stop people from downloading or copying with the intention to sell the copies. All the copy protections are broken almost the same day they are released. All it does is stop the normal consumer without much technical know-how to use his cd's in the way he is legally allowed to do. Copy protection is more of a tool to limit the consumer to a few "allowed" systems rather than actual copy protection.

 

[Motokid]

You have to put locks on your doors to keep criminals out of your house. However, the really "gifted" and determined crook will find a way in no matter how many locks.

While the highest tech crook can get into your entire life and steal your identity, the copy protection could very well keep the joe average slimeball from becoming another thorn in the system.

My guess is it helps more than it hurts. But, the consumer is the bottom line. If you don't buy copy protected cd's the manufacturer will have to figure out another way to get your business.

Supply and Demand.

 

[Miss Shelf]

no...your rights are being infringed upon because of people like Ms. and others who illegally copy and sell other peoples art.

This reminds me of how we're saddled with child-proof packaging because a few nitwits left pills and poisonous substances in easy reach of small children. Next time you have a headache and struggle to open a bottle of Tylenol, remember this.

 

[lies]

Do you refuse to buy books from authors who copyright protect their books?

...

Ms. buy's, burns, returns for full money back....don't blaim the artist and the recording company for copyright protection...blaim the consumers like Ms. and others who desire to rape the system and make things worse for the honest purchaser.

Copyrighting your material is not the same as copy protecting it. Both books and CDs are copyright (or copyleft) protected. I have no problems with that. But if indeed they start selling things that might or might not work on your car stereo or computer, that's something else entirely. That's a faulty product (and I'm not sure every store would take it back, by the way).

Also... have you never copied from books? They may not be copy protected, but they are still copyrighted. (Or is that "fair use"?)

 

[novella]

Let's break into Ms's flat and steal her stuff. I call dibs on the Hello Kitty fluffy pillows.

 

[Motokid]

Ms is a guy.....go figure.....

 

[Jemima Aslana]

Ooof a lot has been said and I've a good bit to comment on:

Lemme start with the shoplifting bit. Yes, I've shoplifted, some of you seemed to conclude that I was still doing so, I'm not. I may not have been perfectly clear since I used the words 'not recently' - that means within the past 6 years in my particular case. A do not shoplift any longer, I used to, I was a kid (not an excuse but an explanation rather) I'm no longer one. End of story.

As for the downloading of mp3s and copying of cd's there are many many aspects, especially because laws are different in most countries, for instance here in Denmark it's perfectly legal to copy one of your own cd's for use in your car or somesuch, it's also perfectly legal to borrow a cd at the library and copy it to your computer/another cd. Everytime a cd get's borrowed at the library the artist gets royalties as well.

What is not legal in DK is to copy cd's and give them away or sell them. Meaning the cd I have lying around somewhere with the Moulin Rouge soundtrack I got from a friend is illegal, the soundtrack from Shrek used to be legal since it was copied while my bro and I still lived together, so we could have a cd stationed in each room, now we've moved out, hence the Shrek copy is no longer legal. Did I throw it out for that reason? Nah.

In DK downloading music off the internet is illegal if the service is not accepted/acknowledge by the artist as a provider/seller of their music. Yes, I do have some illegal mp3s on my HDD, so far it has brought me in contact with music I would never have heard of otherwise, and to be perfectly honest: the frequency of my cd' purchases has gone up. It does not justify my illegal act, no, of course not, but considering that most of the mp3s I currently have are ripped from my own cd's that I've bought from my own hard-earned money I hardly think I'm the one toppling the record companies. And I don't share, I never share files on the internet.

As for prices: I honestly don't think lowering the record prices will help any. Fact is that some people will alsways be looking for a cheaper way to get things, no matter how cheap things already are. It's not something we can change. Yes, I do think that cd prices have reached heights where even I have trouble justifying to my economy that I want this and that music, but that is by no means a reason to steal it, it is in fact one of the reasons I go buy music whenever I can, so I can at least do my bit to prevent the record companies from having to raise prices even further.

If I really can't afford a new cd, I can always buy second hand, that way I also know that the artist got their royalties for the sale, and it's not illegal in any way. We have a really awesome second hand CD/DVD shop not too far from where I live. I continuously dump quite a bit of money there

 

[Motokid]

So Ms. you've grown quiet.....you wanted a discussion, yet you seem to have vanished?

There's plenty here to respond to, and answer for from your perspective. I for one would really like to know more about your justifications and thought process when it comes to the activities you've described in the opening post.