# Question about copying legally purchased DVD's, Copyright, and Sin



## Mephibosheth (Dec 13, 2014)

Hey guys,

I have a question. Recently, it's come to my attention that it may or may not be illegal (in the United States) to make a copy of a DVD you bought and paid for . Now, obviously piracy is theft and therefore a sin. But I'm hearing that making a copy of a DVD for personal use (backups, adding to iPod/iPad, etc) is actually copyright infringement. This bothers me, as I've made copies of several DVD's that I legally bought, just for ease of watching on a different device. I assumed that was fine, considering I own the DVD's

I've looked around online, but see conflicting information and not much in the way of official statements or legal documentation. Very confusing...

Yes, I submit to Romans 13. If something is illegal or not, I need to know. Is this something "technical," like outdated law that needs to be updated for modern circumstances, settled law, or is it still being debated? And even though I paid for the stuff I copied for personal use, is it still theft to make those copies? 

Am I sinning by making copies of my purchased DVD's?


----------



## Edward (Dec 13, 2014)

Generally, if you have a licensed copy, you can rip it to listen to it on another device. If you sell or give away the originally purchased item, you should delete all copies, no matter what the format. And you can't sell or give away your copy. 

Even the RIAA admits that

". However, burning a copy of CD onto a CD-R, or transferring a copy onto your computer hard drive or your portable music player, won’t usually raise concerns so long as:

The copy is made from an authorized original CD that you legitimately own
The copy is just for your personal use. It’s not a personal use – in fact, it’s illegal – to give away the copy or lend it to others for copying."

RIAA - The Law - December 13, 2014 (buried near the bottom).


----------



## Mephibosheth (Dec 13, 2014)

Thanks, Edward. I should clarify though, I was referring to video content on DVD's and not audio from CD's. I was aware that the RIAA now says it's legal to transfer music onto a computer of device. What I was hearing is that the MPAA (Motion Picture Association) considers it copyright infringement to copy DVD's, even legally purchased ones. I was looking to find something definitive on that.


----------



## nick (Dec 14, 2014)

Videos are becoming more flexible with copying, but it is taking a longer time than music did. There are a lot of people that still have no issue with piracy (stealing another's work). The music industry came around quicker, because someone normally listens to a song over and over which leads to additional album sales, concerts, radio play, etc.

Movies on the other hand, most are watched once. If the movie is heavily pirated it can have a huge effect on profits, and those movies cost a lot more to make than an album.

The MPAA is not chasing down a person that has converted a movie for watching on a device. It is chasing down people who convert and then load to a website for all to steal. I know you know that, and are digging for what the exact stance is. Pause a video at the beginning and read the FBI warning we all skim by. You'll probably find your answer there.


----------



## whirlingmerc (Dec 15, 2014)

I thought you can make copies for yourself, not for sale or distribution if you legally bought something.... after all a DVD may be damaged in time
You may copy for private use. Clearly when one uses TIVO, or tapes something off a TV that's a copyrighted movie it's ok to do so for private use.

You are allowed to copy some things in a limited way for educational use, like a short clip (not an entirety) or a few pages as well in a context of a class

Copying and sharing a substantial part of a DVD is definitely not legal
Copying and posting on a website or selling , definitely not legal


----------



## SRoper (Dec 17, 2014)

It's not a difference between audio or video that is material--you can make a backup copy of a VHS tape. The problem is DVDs are protected by an encryption system called Content Scramble System. Circumventing such a system outside narrowly defined uses violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. As far as I can tell, backup copies for personal use are not one of the allowed uses.


----------

