[mythtv-users] Possible to make a recording request?

VCRAddict MythTV_01 at appropriate-tech.net
Wed Nov 19 16:37:21 UTC 2008


At 08:00 AM 11/19/08 -0800, Steve Heistand wrote:
 > 
 > >  > nor is it illegal to give someone a copy of such a recording.
 > > 
 > > INcorrect.
 > > 
 > > That crosses the line between "duplication" and "distribution", and
 > > squarely violates the Copyright Act.
 > > 
 > 
 > it is perfectly legal to loan my long lost cousin a copy of a recording.
 > 

No, it is NOT, unless *you* are the actual copyright holder of that
material (i.e., your home movies of Aunt Mathilda's birthday party or
similar).

OTOH, if you go out and buy an *original* CD, DVD, whatever, then loan that
same _original_distribution_media_ to your long-lost cousin, that's OK --
provided that you have *not* made a copy of it for yourself first.  If he
subsequently makes a copy of that program material before returning the
original to you, then you're probably[1] still OK -- but *he* has violated
copyright.

In the case of broadcast material, the "original distribution media" is the
broadcast itself, ephemeral as it is.  While it would require equipment
outside the scope of this discussion list, it is actually possible to pass
that on to someone else (or a lot of "someone else"s), in more-or-less real
time (it's called "re-broadcasting"; and it is near-universally prohibited
for commercial radio & TV signals).  So the *copy* of that "original
distribution media" you make on your VCR, DVR MythTV box, whatever, is
subject to the same restrictions (i.e., you may NOT distribute it) as a
copy you make of a store-bought CD, DVD, etc.



Footnotes --
[1] - Unless it can be shown that you knowingly lent him the original for
the purpose of allowing him to copy it.





More information about the mythtv-users mailing list