A question of copywrite protection:

[pHaTaL_eRrOr]

I simply LOVE Rythm of Time, but I've noticed that it's copy protected. What's to say that I can't rip this album in order to play it on my Ipod? I really don't use CD much anymore as I have a docking station in my car. When I bought this album, I realize I merely bought the right to listen to it, but how can JR's label determine which delivery method I'm going to use? I say unfair!

Does anyone else agree/disagree? Piracy happens... and if I want to capture the audio, I will.... but why create this extra work?

[Bakerman]

I can rip tracks from it fine with CDex: http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/

[Cloak]

Don't confuse copy protection with multimedia programming. A lot of people think that a disc is copy protected when in fact it's just a second session on the disc preventing the audio readers to pick up the CD-audio portion of the CD.

This can usually be circumvented; Windows XP, for example, let's you pick which session you want to read on the CD. I forget how to do it, though.

[hephiroth]

If you OWN a copy of an album, then you have the right to rip it to your computer, your iPod, or anything else you want it to. The only thing that is "illegal" is if you then distribute any of those files to anyone that has not purchased said album. That's why even downloading mp3's isn't illegal if you own the album that the material came from...granted, most people probably wouldn't do this, but if there was no legal type of downloading, then how could those programs exist without much more legal hassle?

This is also why usually the only way you can get caught using programs like KaZaA is if you are SHARING files with other users because you have no way of knowing if the people you're offering those files to have purchased the music. If you are not sharing and simply download an mp3, the authorities would technically have to come to your bedroom, search through all your mp3's and then check to see if you own all the CDs they came from. Believe me, they're not gonna waste their time.

So, back to your question, you have bought the album, so you CAN rip them legally to your iPod. This is what iPods are made to do: catalog all your CDs onto one device, whether it be your computer or your iPod. Besides, they'd never know if you had ripped it on your iPod or your neighbor's who'd never bought a CD in his/her life...but then that would be technically illegal. What you're talking about is perfectly fine.

-Jeff-

[TheMagician]

Depends on what country you live in - in New Zealand its illegal to copy music at all without permission, ie making a tape of your favourite CD for personal use is actually illegal, which interestingly enough also means mp3 players are for the most part relatively useless if you follow the law. Of course no-one actually does follow the law and I've never ever heard of it being enforced, but it makes you wonder lol.