[PLUG] From CHS to DVD to file...

nathan w nathan at nathanewilliams.com
Mon Jul 4 03:15:06 UTC 2011


On 07/02/2011 04:03 PM, Michael C. Robinson wrote:
>>> Legally speaking, do I have to keep the original VHS tapes when done?
>>
>> To the best of my knowledge, you broke the law when you recorded the
>> VHS content to DVD, full stop, so you are already in trouble.  Format
>> shifting is very restricted under most copyright law implementations.
>>
>> (For example, back in Australia an educational institution could
>> format shift, unless they could buy the material in the target form
>> already, or it was copy protected in any way, and only if they had an
>> immediate need, and only if it didn't format shift their entire
>> collection.  Non-education format shifting was more restricted.)
>>
>> You probably want to consult a real lawyer if you want to know if this
>> is strictly legal.  Your lawyer will probably then tell you not to do
>> it regardless of the law, unless you have more money for law suits
>> than Disney does. ;)
>>
>> Anyway, I am not a lawyer, and don't even play that convincing a one
>> over here.  As the disclaimer usually runs.
>>
>> Daniel
>> -- 
>> ⎋ Puppet Labs Developer – http://puppetlabs.com
>> ✉ Daniel Pittman <daniel at rimspace.net>
>> ✆ Contact me via gtalk, email, or phone: +1 (503) 893-2285
>> ♲ Made with 100 percent post-consumer electrons
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> Is there any way to do this without breaking the law?  I don't think
> Disney is going to have the police break down my door for making a
> private use copy of a private use VHS tape, but I could be wrong.  Is
> Disney digital copy compatible with Linux?  I'm not trying to make money
> off of these copies, I'm just trying to stream them so that the VCR
> isn't needed.  I won't copy any Blu-Ray discs.
> 
> Concerning fair use, Disney employing multiple copy protection schemes
> is making it very difficult to legitimately copy content.  That the law
> could protect Disney's rudeness is even worse.  The collection is paid
> for, none of the tapes are illegal.  Isn't it fair use to make the
> programs compatible with modern DVD players so long as I keep the
> originals and don't distribute for profit the copies?  How about a local
> area network server, isn't putting the programs on that for streaming
> purposes fair use?
> 
> I've run into a surprise, apparently, Grex can't defeat the copy
> protection on VHS copies of the old Herbie movies.  I'm wondering if
> anyone has more information on this?
> 
> I may be breaking the law, but I'm not trying to honestly and quite
> frankly, fair use deserves as much protection as the content producers
> right to charge for viewing.  If someone copies VHS tapes or DVDs or
> Blu Ray discs and then sells the copies, by all means bust that
> individual.  This is NOT a for profit venture.  I'm just trying to
> make the collection more accessible and protect against the VCR wearing
> out.
> 
> If I had the power to change copyright law, here is what I'd do:
> 
> 1) Technological measures to enforce copy protection which impact fair 
>    use are prohibited.
> 
> 2) The copy protection is up after 20 years and cannot be renewed.
> 
> 3) No copy protection implemented in software can be kept secret, see
>    rule 1.
> 
> 4) People who make a profit by copying copy righted material are subject
>    to prison time.
> 
> Some will scream and say that my proposal makes the copyright worthless,
> but the copyright was never supposed to keep content shared with the
> public under wraps forever.  People will still buy commercial copies of
> movies when they are out of copyright.  Copying from one format to
> another is time consuming and painful.

i agree wholeheartedly. one of my favorite movie purchases was an 8 DVD
box-set of Charlie Chaplin flicks, which i'm fairly sure is old enough
to be out of copyright, and could certainly have been obtained for free.
yet i paid happily for the convenience and charm of a full set with the
liner notes intact.

your rules sound good to me as well, though the unfortunate reality of
money's influence in our "justice" system has me convinced that i'd
better not hold my breath.

odd coincidence, i'm watching an MSNBC show on movie piracy as i write
this. they have a very different take, informed by the MPAA.

-- nathan w

> 
> VHS tapes are low definition.  It is probably more expensive to buy Blu
> Ray/DVD copies of the movies in my collection.  Some of these movies may
> not be available anymore.
> 
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