Ford, GM Sued Over Vehicles' Ability To Rip CD Music To Hard Drive 317
Lucas123 writes: The Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies is suing Ford and General Motors for millions of dollars over alleged copyrights infringement violations because their vehicles' CD players can rip music to infotainment center hard drives. The AARC claims in its filing (PDF) that the CD player's ability to copy music violates the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992. The Act protects against distributing digital audio recording devices whose primary purpose is to rip copyrighted material. For example, Ford's owner's manual explains, "Your mobile media navigation system has a Jukebox which allows you to save desired tracks or CDs to the hard drive for later access. The hard drive can store up to 10GB (164 hours; approximately 2,472 tracks) of music." The AARC wants $2,500 for each digital audio recording device installed in a vehicle, the amount it says should have been paid in royalties.
Time Shifting? (Score:4, Insightful)
Good luck with that. (Score:5, Insightful)
The Alliance of Artists should lose this suit (Score:5, Insightful)
Unbelievable (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Time Shifting? (Score:5, Insightful)
The Act protects against distributing digital audio recording devices whose primary purpose is to rip copyrighted material.
It should be pretty obvious that the primary purpose is not to rip copyrighted material.
A judge needs to slap AARC in the face for wasting everyones time.
Re:The Alliance of Artists should lose this suit (Score:5, Insightful)
Trying to link justice with logic? Good luck with that.
Re:The Alliance of Artists should lose this suit (Score:5, Insightful)
Sorry, what license? I didn't see any license in my CD. I bought a CD. With music on it. Music protected by Copyright Law, which states, mainly, that I can't redistribute that music without permission. Whether copying those tracks to a hard drive for convenience counts as redistribution, or some other fine print part of the law in question forbids it for some reason is debatable, but there's no "license" here. I haven't signed anything, nor even had anything given for reading.
Of course, IANAL, so/and I might be wrong :)
Re:Good luck with that. (Score:4, Insightful)
80% of the music in my iTunes came from CDs..."ripped" straight from the plastic. I an convert those all to MP3s.
So they should be suing Microsoft and Apple.
Re:The Alliance of Artists should lose this suit (Score:5, Insightful)
You mean law, the American court system has NOTHING to do with Justice, hasn't for a LONG time...
Re:Time Shifting? (Score:5, Insightful)
What stops me from doing the exact same thing, but on a computer! (patent pending)