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[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works -2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Eh, they're not that big, especially if you discard the cases and store them in a binder.

I would also rather buy digital, but in general, they're not available DRM-free. I can rip the DRM from physical media, so that's what I do. Pirating is technically illegal, even if I own license, so that's not something I'm interested in.

[-] Xendarq@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

You're okay ripping DRM illegally, but "piracy" is a bridge too far. To copyright holders they're the same thing.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I'm not a lawyer, but I think there's a legal defense under the DMCA, here's the applicable part of the code:

(B) The prohibition contained in subparagraph (A) shall not apply to persons who are users of a copyrighted work which is in a particular class of works, if such persons are, or are likely to be in the succeeding 3-year period, adversely affected by virtue of such prohibition in their ability to make noninfringing uses of that particular class of works under this title, as determined under subparagraph (C).

Subparagraph C describes the process by which the Librarian of Congress reviews such exemptions, and specifically calls out non-profit and educational use.

AFAIK, this provision hasn't been tested for a regular home user making digital backups of their copy-protected media for non-infringing use. There's a plausible defense here: I can't use a DVD player on my phone, so this law restricts my ability to make non-infringing use of the material I own when traveling without access to a DVD player (AFAIK, those don't exist on planes or at campsites) or my physical DVD. So it's reasonable to use a digital copy so that I can do non-profit research with the content on disks I own.

To me, that seems like a reasonable interpretation of the exception under this provision, and I think it has a reasonable chance of being upheld in a court of law. I don't think it's ever been tried, because copyright owners don't care about people making backups, and they wouldn't want to set legal precedent about this either. This argument hinges on whether ripping for home use can be considered "educational purposes."

So yes, I'm okay with ripping DRM from a disk I own because I think there's a legitimate legal defense. There isn't a legitimate legal defense for piracy, at least not one I'm aware of.

[-] kalleboo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

This is what I think about people using VPNs to access content. You're still accessing it contrary to the license agreement, it's still piracy. Just download it instead of paying for a VPN company to advertise on YouTube.

[-] EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 1 points 1 month ago

What is the point of storing something you know you will never use then? At this point can just throw out the disk.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

Because then I cannot legally prove that I haven't given it away or sold it. In order to have any hope of a legitimate legal defense, I need to have a copy to prove that it's actually a backup. And no, buying (or borrowing) something, ripping it, and then returning it doesn't count as a "backup," that's illegal duplication.

this post was submitted on 14 May 2024
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