Theoretical question Legal issues?

[cypher_soundz]

I own lots of friends © videos (VHS) and was wondering if i download the episodes i have is it legal? i mean there is NO css code breaking done by me , and maybe not by who ever made them ;) also if i downlaod a tv episode from USA is this legal? i live in the UK? any one know any good UK law sites?

[cypher_soundz]

TAP TAP TAP(~Microphone squeaks~) is this thing on?(~Crowd coughs~)...Tuff crowd:p

[Vslayer3000]

if you download a freinds ep that you have by other means (ie your vhs tapes) then it's legal. i don't know about various tv eps though... i've heard that in some places it's legal to download the stuff but not share or sell it and other stuff like that but i don't see how downloading it could be any less legal than taping it when it's on tv... hmm...

[cypher_soundz]

Thanks for the reply , the tv episode bit is still kinda baking my noodle ;) the view you have is exactly how i was thinking :D

[Arkay]

I'm not 100 percent sure that's right. I had this discussion the other day with someone.

I suggested that if I bought the LP (vinyl) of say Pink Floyd Dark Side of the moon 2 years before CD's came out does that give me the right to copy the CD? and the answer was NO...

I believe it comes down to being able to make one backup copy of like for like media for personal use only... Thats it. Not copy DVD's cause you legally own the VHS etc etc.. It's based on quality, if the production and mastering, features etc are better than the copy you payed for they can probably enforce the law with regards to copying the better version. Lets see if George Lucas would mind you copying one of his crap Starwars original extended versions when you only ever payed him for the original version on VHS.

At the end of the day with TV episodes well... Didn't you watch heaps of Ads when you originally saw it on TV for free? and weren't those advertisers paying for you to watch that show??? You had to put up with the ads right? Seems a little stupid to have to pay $25 bucks for two episodes of something you watched for free last time and for which the producing studio has already been payed royalties for don't it...

But.. copyright is copyright and we as law abiding citizens would never break that....

-Arkay.

[cypher_soundz]

DAMN YOU COPYRIGHT!!!
Well looks like some dvd store will be getting lots of my money :D
The next thing will be disabling channel changing on breaks so we HAVE to watch the ads Nooooo, remember i said it first ;) oh yes it will happen just like the fbi warning on a dvd :(