UK To Legalize DVD And CD Ripping For Personal Use

One of the many things that has irked people who spend their hard-earned money on CDs and DVDs through legitimate means is that the movie and music studios wanted it to be illegal to make a copy or rip your own content for personal use as a backup. The UK government has announced that it will be stepping in and this summer it will legalize the ripping of CDs and DVDs.

Ripping discs that you legally own is currently illegal in the UK. The government has decided to change the law after an inspection of copyright legislation and public consultation. Apparently, these changes have been in the works for a few years now and are only now ready to roll out.

In July, UK citizens will be able to freely make copies of DVDs, CDs, and other media as long as the copy is for personal use. The ripping of physical media is specifically allowed under the new law for backup purposes or for shifting formats.

That means that you can rip your CDs to your favorite portable media player without fear of falling afoul of the law. Users will also be able to copy a movie they purchase between devices without violating copyright. Copyright holders aren't expected to suffer significant harm. You can bet those copyright holders aren't happy. They want consumers to buy a new copy for each of their devices. It's also worth noting that the law makes it legal to store music and other cornet on the cloud. If you sell the media you purchased, backup copies have to be destroyed.

SOURCE: TorrentFreak