DRM Removal

  • Thread starter Thread starter jealphak
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jealphak

Guest
Is removing DRM from songs that you have legitimately downloaded alright, as long as you don’t sell the songs? There seems to be dispute about whether or not this is legal, but I am more concerned with whether or not it is moral. Thoughts?
 
For the benefit of myself and perhaps other “dinosaurs,” what on earth is DRM? Thanks.

Betsy
 
Digital Rights Management

Copyright protection on downloaded music. For people who own the music it can be a pain cause there are some programs or devices that you may want to use and in order to play the music you may have to change the format of the file and DRM will not allow you to change or copy it… kind of a pain I know… but the same holds true for those who have not “legally” downloded it and they want to try and use or play the files and they remove (thru a decrypting program) the DRM so they can essentially “steal” the music or software. Not a good idea.

I would check with the copyright laws to see if making a backup of legally owned music or software is legal…?? I don’t know that one.

Paul

BTW are you from Baltimore?? I was born at Sinai hospital and lived in Harford county 'til I was 18. Go O’s!! Maybe next year?!?
 
DRM is an acronym for Digital Rights Management, a method used by sellers of digital material (songs, movies, etc.) to prevent duplication.

My take on this is that it does not equate to stealing, so you are not doing anything wrong from the theological point of view. You are facilitating backup of an asset you own. If you decide to give away these songs to friends, you are stealing the song-owner’s rights to sell their product, so that is different.

On a more earthly front, removing DRM does not break the law in the US as long as it is for ‘Fair Use’ as defined in the Digital Media Consumers Right Act. If you do it to duplicate and sell the material, or to enable others to do so, you are breaking the law and not following the commandment, IMO.
 
DRM is so annoying, especially with iTunes!

I have to burn a CD then rip the files back into the computer to make them into mp3s. Big waste of CDs.

Amazon.com seems to be a nice alternative if you want mp3s you can use anywhere.

No, I don’t think it’s immoral. It’s paid for.
 
This is so cool. I never thought I would get to write a post that merges two topics I find most interesting – religion and intellectual property.

The whole point of DRM is to prevent the copying and illegal distribution of media (music, video, photos, etc.). However, you are stripping out the DRM without the intention of distributing the songs but to just make it more convenient for your personal use. In this case, there really is no difference between the DRM version and the non-DRM version of the music. It’s like you received an extra “feature” that you have no use for (of course, DRM is not a feature, but an annoyance). In my opinion, you are in the clear morally.
 
DRM is so annoying, especially with iTunes!

I have to burn a CD then rip the files back into the computer to make them into mp3s. Big waste of CDs.

Amazon.com seems to be a nice alternative if you want mp3s you can use anywhere.

No, I don’t think it’s immoral. It’s paid for.
Why rip to a CD?? Just put it in a seperate folder then convert them, or import as MP3 format and save the CD’s.

Paul
 
Why rip to a CD?? Just put it in a seperate folder then convert them, or import as MP3 format and save the CD’s.

Paul
Really? How does that work? iTunes doesn’t let you convert most songs into mp3s.

Oh wait, do you mean burning the files into a CD disc image instead of an actual CD?
 
BTW are you from Baltimore?? I was born at Sinai hospital and lived in Harford county 'til I was 18. Go O’s!! Maybe next year?!?
Yes, I am. I lived here in the early 1960’s and came back to stay after I graduated from Notre Dame College in the 70’s.

Go O’s? I’ve given up there. But how 'bout them Ravens, hon?? Playoffs, here we come!

Wacko for Flacco,
Betsy
 
Yes, I am. I lived here in the early 1960’s and came back to stay after I graduated from Notre Dame College in the 70’s.

Go O’s? I’ve given up there. But how 'bout them Ravens, hon?? Playoffs, here we come!

Wacko for Flacco,
Betsy
I know the O’s are almost always a lost cause. I live in Dallas and it was great when the Rav’s beat the Cowboys… hope noone down here knows me… they may come hunt me down for being a traitor to the Cowboys.

Paul
 
It is illegal under DMCA.
doom9.org/index.html?/dmca_revealed.htm
Chapter 12
Paragraph 1201 Circumvention of copyright protection systems
‘‘(2) No person shall manufacture, import, offer to the public,
provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service,
device, component, or part thereof, that-
‘‘(A) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose
of circumventing a technological measure that effectively controls
access to a work protected under this title;
‘‘(B) has only limited commercially significant purpose or
use other than to circumvent a technological measure that
effectively controls access to a work protected under this title;
or
‘‘(C) is marketed by that person or another acting in concert
with that person with that person’s knowledge for use in circumventing
a technological measure that effectively controls
access to a work protected under this title.
‘‘(3) As used in this subsection-
‘‘(A) to ‘circumvent a technological measure’ means to
descramble a scrambled work, to decrypt an encrypted work,
or otherwise to avoid, bypass, remove, deactivate, or impair
a technological measure, without the authority of the copyright
owner; and
‘‘(B) a technological measure ‘effectively controls access to
a work’ if the measure, in the ordinary course of its operation,
requires the application of information, or a process or a treatment,
with the authority of the copyright owner, to gain access
to the work.
 
Really? How does that work? iTunes doesn’t let you convert most songs into mp3s.

Oh wait, do you mean burning the files into a CD disc image instead of an actual CD?
Ok… now I’m trying to remember how I did it… I still have Christmas toy assembly instructions running through my brain:eek:

Here is a site
that has a suite of free software that you can use to convert audio files from one format to another and then ‘re-import’ into ITunes.
I believe that is what I had to do for some Christmas music that I bought from the ITunes Store.

That software is great I use it all the time… so many different things to use. Also, sign up for the email updates. They send you a notice when a newer version is ready… and like I said it’s all free.

Give it a try. Hope you like it.

Paul
 
I don’t know. I’m almost 50 and in the software business (so I’m a dinosaur with IP experience)

You do not own any of these songs. You have paid for, and been granted, a license to play the song under certain circumstances.

Read the itunes license. Have you been granted permission to convert them to MP3s? If so, have at it. If not, you are in violation of your license.

If you can’t find the answer…
 
Ok, how does that square with this law:

USC Title 17, Chapter 10, Section 1008:

§ 1008—Prohibition on certain infringement actions
No action may be brought under this title alleging infringement of copyright based on the manufacture, importation, or distribution of a digital audio recording device, a digital audio recording medium, an analog recording device, or an analog recording medium, or based on the noncommercial use by a consumer of such a device or medium for making digital musical recordings or analog musical recordings.

The last sentence “or based on the noncommercial use by a consumer of such a device or medium for making digital musical recordings or analog musical recordings” would seem to make it legal.
 
Ok, how does that square with this law:

USC Title 17, Chapter 10, Section 1008:

§ 1008—Prohibition on certain infringement actions
No action may be brought under this title alleging infringement of copyright based on the manufacture, importation, or distribution of a digital audio recording device, a digital audio recording medium, an analog recording device, or an analog recording medium, or based on the noncommercial use by a consumer of such a device or medium for making digital musical recordings or analog musical recordings.

The last sentence “or based on the noncommercial use by a consumer of such a device or medium for making digital musical recordings or analog musical recordings” would seem to make it legal.
The keyword here is circumvention. while this wold allow for making copies it does not mention that circumvention is allowed.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top