My question is kind of two fold. I looked around on other threads and could not get a clear answer, so if I missed it please direct me there and disregard this thread. First, I buy alot of my dvds at flea mkts, pawn shops etc. Is it legal to make backups of these movies and then resell the originals? Which I guess is also sort of my next question. I know some people who have a dvd club of sorts where they buy the new releases, make their copy and then sell them to the next person in line for pennies on the dollar, then that person repeats the process and so on. As long as person 2 buys the original dvd from person 1, no matter how much he paid, it should be considered his to do with as he pleases right? I discussed this matter with someone who's point of view differs from mine and he said unless you have proof that in fact you had owned the original dvd you would still be breaking the law. So here I sit with hundreds of copies I have made of dvds that I owned at the time but have since sold or no longer own,with no proof what so ever that I did own them. Any advice?
If you can't prove you owned the original dvd at some point, then you could be in quite a tricky situation. Although, as far as I'm aware, with proof of ownership you can get away with making backups for personal use/storage only. Sounds quite a dodgy set-up if you ask me; a "ddv backup chain", so to speak.
If the DVD movie is encrypted, then it is illegal to make a copy of it, whether or not you purchased it. Just ask 3-2-1 Studios.
No proof of original ownership is, as Ripper stated, a bad situation to find oneself in. And i agree the whole thing sounds a bit dodgy. Probably not a good idea, at least IMHO.
It's real simple & even tho i have my doubts as to why you even bothered to ask a question that imo you already know the answer too this is how it works. Buy dvd make copy of dvd sell original dvd selling original also means you are not allowed to keep any copies you have made even if you gave the original away if ever it was legal to make a copy in the first place. no if's, no but's ,it's fact,the moment you no longer have original in your posession you are in violation of copywrite not that anyone i know would care including myself..lol.. ps: forgot to mention you don't actually own the dvd anyway or it's contents,buying a dvd only gives you a licence to view,take a look at any EULA including operating systems it's all in the fine print & legal garb that us mere peasants can't read nor understand EDIT:Why bother buying to make copies when you can go to the local video hire store *cough*
A lot of these "is XYZ illegal?" type posts seem to be by people who either think: 1. That the whole intarwebs are in the USA or 2. That USA law applies all around the world. British courts, for example, have held that so-called "shrink-wrap" EULAs violate contract law and are null and void. Or the public library near me *cough* *cough*
It would come down to specifics,since NZ is a colony of the Great Dwindling British Empire "sniff" Rule Brittania,dah,dah,dah,dah,..lol.. our laws are pretty much along the same vain,the main point i'm making is you don't own the contents,not that you're not allowed to make copies of media you own,tho when you part with the original all copies must go with it etc.
Thanks for the great info, as always. I guess my friend is right. But it brings to mind the old adage, if a tree falls in the woods... So I guess it only matters if you get caught. I havn't been able to get the theme music from cops out of my head since having this first conversation. Although it was all done with mistakingly thinking I could do what I wanted with my own property, the good old gov steps in and says wrong. I backed up my d's because at my house, between the husband, the kids, and the animals, it isn't safe for original anything, including the original writing this Could I offer anyone a cough drop?
