Confused about downloading music

esuhl

D.K. wrote: »

Copying anything that's copyright is illegal, OK.

There's a copyright message on this website... so I'm not allowed to take a copy of the site? Uh-oh... The only way I can see this site is to download a copy and store it in my browser's cache. Does that mean that using the web to access copyrighted websites is fundamentally illegal?

There are some exemptions to "Copying anything that's copyright is illegal" that don't involve the authorities simply turning a blind eye...

netdumdum

superscaper wrote: »

Me too. And if your preference is for buying a few albums, there's not much difference in cost, plus it's much higher quality than any download.

Its debateable whether or not downloads or highly quality than the cd album, may be technically better quality not sure if its noticably better quality though.

superscaper

netdumdum wrote: »

Its debateable whether or not downloads or highly quality than the cd album, may be technically better quality not sure if its noticably better quality though.

Well you can always compress from higher quality to lower quality but you can't go the other way around. On a (decent) hifi system it can be quite noticeable. But if you have two things that are equally priced and one is only "technically" higher quality than the other. Surely you'd be a fool not to go for the higher quality one, surely? Never mind all the DRM restrictions with most downloads.

marleyboy

netdumdum wrote: »

Its debateable whether or not downloads or highly quality than the cd album, may be technically better quality not sure if its noticably better quality though.

On my £2000 Digital Hi-fi, with Dolby Pro Logic 8 speaker surround and 400W Sub with pre amp, I can assure you the sound is quite noticebly different than that of an original CD. The highest speck MP3 can only master a max of quadrophenic. MP3's cut out the very High symbolics and the very low sub range.

Played in a basic car stereo, you probably wouldnt notice much difference, but those with a fine tuned ear to music, can and do notice.

On a Hi speck Hi-Fi or a decent amp with a good set of headphones, that difference is pretty annoying. Simply play an original CD and compare its quality with a ripped version to get an idea of just how much loss there is.

BritBrat

If you buy a CD it may be illegal to copy it but making one copy for your own use most people would do it.

Making a copy to share to family or friends would NOT be legal.

After all when you buy a new PC they let you make one copy of the whole system, did they break the law?

superscaper

BritBrat wrote: »

If you buy a CD it may be illegal to copy it but making one copy for your own use most people would do it.

Making a copy to share to family or friends would NOT be legal.

After all when you buy a new PC they let you make one copy of the whole system, did they break the law?

It's not legal to make a copy of a CD for yourself. The PC is a poor analogy because you are legally allowed to make a personal backup of software applications.

BritBrat

It's not legal to make a copy of a CD for yourself. The PC is a poor analogy because you are legally allowed to make a personal backup of software applications.

I never said it was legal, I said most common sense people would do it, anyone who has small children
would they trust their disks in the their hands.

Are you sure Microsoft allow that?

I think you may be right but in that case you don't even own the CD/DVD you pay a licence to use the software.

BillScarab

Microsoft don't care how often you copy the Installation discs, the only thing they care about is how often the key has been used. If you had to re-install your OS and couldn't find the original disc, Microsoft wouldn't care if you used a copy so long as you used your original, genuine key.

superscaper

BritBrat wrote: »

Are you?

Are you sure Microsoft allow that?

I think you may be right but in that case you don't even own the CD/DVD you pay a licence to use the software.

For personal backup yes (I'm not making this up off the top of my head. it's in black and white in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988). Don't remember Microsoft saying anything against it, I don't think any software company has ever claimed slipstreaming is illegal yet that is a common practice.

Yes you do own the CD/DVD. It's the software you don't own. But you can make a personal backup because it says so in law which overrides anything the company wants.

superscaper

"Back up copies.
50A.—(1) It is not an infringement of copyright for a lawful user of a copy of a computer program to make any back up copy of it which it is necessary for him to have for the purposes of his lawful use.

(2) For the purposes of this section and sections 50B and 50C a person is a lawful user of a computer program if (whether under a licence to do any acts restricted by the copyright in the program or otherwise), he has a right to use the program.

(3) Where an act is permitted under this section, it is irrelevant whether or not there exists any term or condition in an agreement which purports to prohibit or restrict the act (such terms being, by virtue of section 296A, void).