EVERYBODY likes free music but nobody likes to be sued. For people seeking free music online, therein lies the rub.It’s simple to get free music from online services like LimeWire, but it could also bring an unfriendly letter from a lawyer.
The legal concept regarding copying is called fair use. But what is fair to do without the copyright holder’s permission? The legal precedent that lets people transfer CDs to their iPods was established in Sony Corporation of America v. Universal City Studios, known as the Betamax case. Essentially, the ruling said that people could record copyrighted material for personal, noncommercial use.
But that’s where it gets tricky. Suppose you have a vinyl record and you want to hear it on your iPod. Does the recording have to come from your own album, or can you download a copy from LimeWire, which provides access to a whole world of legal and illegal content? After all, you have paid for the right to hear the song; does it matter where your specific copy comes from? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/technology/personaltech/04basics.html?ex=1378353600&en=78ae0e326a248f8e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
