Digital Music Revisited
A couple of weeks ago I posted a short piece about how copying CDs that you bought and paid for to your iPod or other digital device (including your computer) constitutes copyright theft. I was so intrigued by this that I felt compelled to contact IRMA and ask them directly if it was true. I got the following response:
Dear Dermot
It is illegal to copy music from its original format without the permission of the record company which owns the copyright in the tracks being copied (this applies even if you have bought the CDs yourself and only want to make back-up copies or a compilation for the car).
In Ireland, there is no such thing as a “Private copy”.
Best regards,
Name Deleted
Irish Recorded Music Association
IRMA House
Dun Laoghaire
Co Dublin
Ireland
T: +353 (0) 1280 6571
F: +353 (0) 1280 6579
So there you go, right from the horse’s mouth, as it were. I wonder if that means that by converting the audio from bits on a CD, via sound waves, to, I dunno, my memories I am violating copyright law? Or is that only true if a clairvoyant then uses their talent to listen to my memories of that piece of music?
In related news, the BBC recently ran a piece in which members of the public asked questions of industry execs. It makes for interesting reading and there is analysis of the story on ArsTechnica and here and probably elsewhere.