Ripping CDs Is Illegal (Again) in the UK ⇥ torrentfreak.com

“Ernesto” at TorrentFreak:

“It is now unlawful to make private copies of copyright works you own, without permission from the copyright holder – this includes format shifting from one medium to another,” a spokesperson informed us.

The IPO specifically notes that copying a CD to an MP3 player is not permitted. This means that iTunes’ popular ripping feature, which Apple actively promotes during the software’s installation, is illegal.

This is so wilfully and blindingly stupid; it boggles the mind. This isn’t the issue it once was, with online purchasing and streaming quickly reducing the CD to distant memory, but it is still a mind-bending retraction of a clarification of the law that went into effect last year.

It gets dumber:

Simply copying a song in an automated computer backup or storing a copy on a private cloud hosting service is also against the law.

So we’re supposed to revert to the days when we only had one copy of something, and if that copy was damaged, that thing must be re-purchased? That’s hilariously quaint.

Also, under the current law iTunes is actively facilitating copyright infringement by promoting their CD-ripping functionality. This means that the company could face significant claims for damages.

Good luck with that.