As someone who makes a living from intellectual property, I take copyright very seriously, however I may soon join the camp of those advocating rampant copying of protected music if the recording industry doesn't get its act together soon.
The recording industry has changed it position on making copies of legally purchased music to say that ANY copy of a product is illegal. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) now says if you buy a CD and copy it to your portable player for personal use, you've violated their copyright. It's a position that's an insult to the industry's customers.
Copyrights are important. They protect the people who create the books, music, video games and other media-based content we enjoy. The writers/artists deserve to be compensated for their work as do those who invest resources in developing and promoting such materials.
But customers also make an investment and that should be respected.
The courts seem to be of the same mind. They have said when consumers record television programs for viewing at a later time, they are not violating copyright.
The recording industry isn't interested in that concept and has filed more than 20,000 lawsuits seeking to enforce their copyrights. Those lawsuits include attacks on teenagers, most of whom don't know the law. It also includes people who copy legal CDs to their computers.
Common sense must prevail. The wholesale distribution of someone else's property is stealing. Making copies for personal use harms no one. If the industry can't show respect for the consumers that make their businesses possible, it has no right to expect consumers to support the industry's position.
Those who seek copyright protection would be wiser to educate the public about why such protections are necessary rather than ham-handedly pounding teenagers in court.
- Jim Grinstead
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