Dear RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America),
My husband and I read Marc Fisher's article "Download Uproar" in Sunday's Washington Post and are writing in order to gain a better understanding of your definition of personal use.
My friend Becca gave me a cd for Christmas. Was is legal for Becca to purchase a music recording and then give it to me as a gift? I opened the plastic packaging and listened to the cd on my car stereo. May I legally listen to the cd a second time? Or should I purchase another copy for this purpose? I took the cd inside my home and played it on the boom box in the laundry room. May I legally play the cd on the boom box if it has already been played in another device? Or should I purchase another copy of the cd for use in the secondary device? I had the boom box turned up too loud, and my neighbor heard one of the songs. Should my neighbor send a check to the RIAA prorated for the amount of the album she overheard? My husband asked if he could borrow the cd to play in his car stereo. May I legally lend it to him, or is this considered theft? Again, may he legally play that cd on the device in his vehicle? My husband really likes one of the songs and would like to copy it onto his MP3 player. Per your suit against Jeffrey Howell of Scottsdale, Arizona, I know that this is definitely not legal, so I told my husband, "No way." I assume that it is also illegal to include one of these songs on a mix cd, so I will not even ask about that. Not that I have made a mix cd. Ever. When I get tired of this cd, I would like to sell it to a used music store. Is it legal for me to do so? Or must I destroy my copy?
Please advise. I would really like to be in compliance and not fined $220,000 like Jammie Thomas of Minnesota. Thank you in advance for your kind attention to my inquiry.
--Barb
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
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7 comments:
PS - I would like to throw a party and play music cds for my guests. Am I legally permitted to do so? Or is that considered unauthorized distribution?
PS - I would like to listen songs on an MP3 player, but this is the only process I know:
1. Puchase song online,
2. Download file to home computer,and
3. Tranfer file from computer to player.
This sounds really illegal. Please have RIAA tech support advise me of a legal method to use my MP3 player.
ROTFL, oh my, this is too funny. Have you actually mailed that? That would be wicked cool if you had.......Wait am I now an accomplice???
I'm posting again because my link didn't work the first time, just in case "they" want to contact me about all the mixed cd's I do not own.
PS - I will not actually be mailing this letter to you, RIAA, because (even though I'm not afraid to mock you) your witch hunts scare the buhjezus out of me. But please continue having fun bludgeoning your customers to death with the law.
PS - And if Jammie Thomas was listening to and sharing Bryan Adams songs, don't you think that was punishment enough? I mean, that's horrific. You really had to fine her, too?
as an unofficial spokesperson for the RIAA,i can solve this mystery for you. All will be forgiven if you send me something of value each time you play a song.Since a cd usually has 12-13 songs on it,i'll accept larger gifts to cover the whole thing. i accept money but i can't discuss that. It's considered "payola" so only actual record companies can do that. Please believe me,I'll keep the heat off of you for a pittance of what Jammie Thomas paid. I prefer small bills. thank you!!
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