Ethical treatment of purchased digital media

[milimac]

What are your thoughts on sharing digital media that was purchased? For instance if I purchase an audiobook that I think someone else might enjoy…

Can I give it to him after I have listened to it?
Can I give a copy to more than one person?
If not, do I request that the first person return the digital media before I lend it to someone else or before I listen to it again?
Can I still keep a copy of it for myself?

For traditional media such as physical books, it would be extremely inconvenient for someone to photocopy it and then return the original. I would essentially not be able to read it or lend it out to someone else until I had the single purchased copy in my posession. Should digital media be treated the same way? Copying and distributing is easy and thus tempting for many. Digital Rights Management attempts to address the problem by only allowing a few copies to be made or to require periodic online access to keep the file usable or to listen to it with proprietary software (such as iTunes and iPod). Is there a better solution?

 

[OldAgeGuru]

If you buy it on CD, and give it to someone after you’re done. I dont see anything wrong with that. Heck, my whole family does that with regular books. I always back up my cd;s on the computer and vice versa. I download a song I throw it on my Ipod and on a cd.

Books are getting ridiculous. I spent like 300 on 2 text books for the semester I can promise you they wont be cracked and will become expensive door stops and coasters

 

[didymus]

What are your thoughts on sharing digital media that was purchased? For instance if I purchase an audiobook that I think someone else might enjoy…

Can I give it to him after I have listened to it?

You can give or lend it as you will.

Can I give a copy to more than one person?

You have a right to make an archival copy of anything you buy in case you damage or lose the original. You may not make copies for distribution.

If not, do I request that the first person return the digital media before I lend it to someone else or before I listen to it again?
Can I still keep a copy of it for myself?

As long as you’re really lending the original and getting it back, I don’t think there’s probelm with your listening to a copy while it’s out of your possession. The problem is with you burning copies for friends.

Of course, if you ant to do that there are plenty of folks here who will tell you it’s perfectly all right.

For traditional media such as physical books, it would be extremely inconvenient for someone to photocopy it and then return the original. I would essentially not be able to read it or lend it out to someone else until I had the single purchased copy in my posession. Should digital media be treated the same way?

Yes.
Should money in an open cash register be treated differntly from the gold in Fort Knox because it’s easier to steal? That’s the difference between traditional and digital media. That siad, communications companies are going to have to adjust to new realities somehow.

Don’t ask me how.

 

[JimG]

This issue arose recently in a newspaper article about CD’s. The article suggested making copies for yourself and then giving away or selling or exchanging the original CD.

They were later told by their legal advisors that it is OK to make a copy for your own use or as a backup. But only if you KEEP the original. If you make a copy, then sell or exchange the original, that’s an illegal distribution, and your copy is now an illegal copy because you no longer own the original.

 

[milimac]

As long as you’re really lending the original and getting it back, I don’t think there’s probelm with your listening to a copy while it’s out of your possession. The problem is with you burning copies for friends.

Ok, so what about audiobooks that are downloaded, such as from audible.com or iTunes and don’t have physical media? I’m not sure if it’s even possible to send one of those audio files to someone else, but let’s say it is, or could be converted to a format that others could receive and listen to. Could I lend it to a person with the stipulation that he delete the file when he is finished (perhaps placing some time limit) or purchase it himself if he wants to keep it indefinitely? Have I effectively put the ethical problem in his court, so to speak? If so, would it be ethical to lend to more than one person at a time? Or should I say, “Person A, I wish to lend this audio file to Person B. Please let me know when you have deleted your copy so I can do so.” Obviously, with a physical book, it’s very doubtful that they would’ve gone to a copy machine to make their own book, although with a short book and color scanners and printers, it might not be that far-fetched either.

 

[JimG]

I’m no expert in the legalities or ethics in this area. But I would guess that the considerations would be much the same as if you bought a book. You have the right to possess it and own it, read it, and even lend it out.

But the content is copyrighted, so you don’t have the right to reproduce the book and give out or sell numerous copies that have not been paid for.