From Analog To Digital

[Ijustwannateach]

I've been updating my music collection and thinking about digital formats and so forth, when the following copyright questions occurred to me:

1. If I own an older *legal* medium for some music- vinyl record, cassette, etc.- and I use a computer to digitize and preserve the music, is this new digitized copy legal for me to have and use? I assume I have to keep all of the original media even if it crumbles to dust- but as long as I do so, will the new digital version be legal forever?

2. If I own a licensed version of the music (on vinyl, cassette, cd, etc.) and I have made an MP3/MP4 file from it, and I keep it on a computer or a player and travel with this computer or player, have I in fact broken the law, or would I be at risk of legal harassment, if I did not simultaneously have the original media on my person? This might not be a problem in one's own country where you could simply go home and get the media, but what if the media were in another country?

Would appreciate any speculation on this- not seriously worried about anything, but it makes for entertaining thought experiments.

[Veazer]

I've been updating my music collection and thinking about digital formats and so forth, when the following copyright questions occurred to me:

1. If I own an older *legal* medium for some music- vinyl record, cassette, etc.- and I use a computer to digitize and preserve the music, is this new digitized copy legal for me to have and use? I assume I have to keep all of the original media even if it crumbles to dust- but as long as I do so, will the new digital version be legal forever?

2. If I own a licensed version of the music (on vinyl, cassette, cd, etc.) and I have made an MP3/MP4 file from it, and I keep it on a computer or a player and travel with this computer or player, have I in fact broken the law, or would I be at risk of legal harassment, if I did not simultaneously have the original media on my person? This might not be a problem in one's own country where you could simply go home and get the media, but what if the media were in another country?

Would appreciate any speculation on this- not seriously worried about anything, but it makes for entertaining thought experiments.

I think both cases would be legal, at least by US law, under the 1992 Audio Home Recording Act. DVD audio discs would not be covered, as I understand it, because copying them requires you to bypass the DRM and this is in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

I'm not a legal expert by any means, this is just my interpretation of the law.

[Guest Reimar]

It is your legal Right to make copies of your software, movies, music for your own personal use and for to safe! There isnt any limitation thet you need to do that in the exact same format as the original.

So it wouldn't be any problem!

[endure]

Your legal rights depend on where you are. There isn't one copyright law that applies worldwide.

[Crushdepth]

Your legal rights depend on where you are. There isn't one copyright law that applies worldwide.

Hear hear. Why is it that whenever anyone asks about the legalities of something, people quote US law? THIS IS THAILAND PEOPLE, US LAW DOES NOT APPLY* !!!! No disrespects intended to the above US-law quoting poster, I'm stomping on a general trend here :-)

* Except possibly to US citizens.

[Guest Reimar]

Your legal rights depend on where you are. There isn't one copyright law that applies worldwide.

Hear hear. Why is it that whenever anyone asks about the legalities of something, people quote US law? THIS IS THAILAND PEOPLE, US LAW DOES NOT APPLY* !!!! No disrespects intended to the above US-law quoting poster, I'm stomping on a general trend here :-)

* Except possibly to US citizens.

Hey, this a question of international Copyright Law!! Not US or evev Royal Thai Law!!

[higgy88]

I asked this same question specifically about music to a friend in the US who is an attorney. I had spent about 2 years digitizing my entire music collection, not a small amount, which in itś original form came in LPs, 45s, cassettes, and 8 track). His answer was that it depended on the laws that were in place at the time and in the country in which the recording was made, as well as the laws that were in place at the time and in the country where the recording was sold, assuming it was sold legally, so there was really no way he could give me a definate answer and that basically it would not be a problem if it was just for my own use. I had made a number of CDs for him as a gift, and asked him what if I give this music away. He laughed as he accepted my gift, saying ¨just don´t give it away over the internet¨.

[Veazer]

..Why is it that whenever anyone asks about the legalities of something, people quote US law?...

Sorry! Bad habit.