Topic: Amazon says it's OK to rip CDs to your heart's content

[Cobra951]

I found this email amusing:   

Dear Amazon Customer,
As someone who has recently shopped for music from Amazon.com, you might be interested in learning how you can make that music portable. Many customers have already discovered that one cheap way to get copy-protection-free MP3s is to buy them on CD and rip them themselves. Luckily, the Amazon Music Store offers everyday low prices on many terrific CDs to help you stock your portable player. For those who haven't yet dabbled in ripping CDs, we've created this handy ripping guide that takes you through it. It's easy, and if you own a portable music player it's a legal, cost-effective way to fill it up. Take a look at some of our fabulous deals and start building up that collection of "pre-backed-up MP3s" today.
›    
   
Read our ripping guide

So there you have it, right from a mighty someone in the know.  No implying, no referring to decades-old decisions on fair use, no assumptions.  It is perfectly legal to rip all the music on your CDs and use it on any music players you have.  Thus spake Amazon.

[Pugnate]

The next morning Amazon wakes up with a bad headache, and a sinking feeling that she wrote an e-mail she shouldn't have.

[scottws]

Wait, are you trumpeting their actions or belittling them?  I can't tell.

[idolminds]

RIAA lawsuit incoming. You can't be telling people what they are allowed to do. We need to trick them into buying music twice or more!

[Cobra951]

Wait, are you trumpeting their actions or belittling them?  I can't tell.

Not belittling.  I just wonder if they (legal and corporate) know the full meaning of what they (advertising) just sent out en masse.  They clarified the matter, which as idol noticed, runs contrary to their policy of keeping things as muddled as possible for consumers the music industry hopes to double- and triple-charge.

[scottws]

Oh ok.  Yeah I was wondering what the hubbub was about.  It's perfectly legal do do what they are saying.

[Quemaqua]

Go Amazon.  I really like those people.  I've always been afraid that they'll get too big and end up becoming shitty, but so far they haven't.  I've never had a problem with their services, they've never jerked me around with anything, and their customer service has always been exemplary.  Hopefully nobody tries to bother them about an innocent email.

[gpw11]

Apple and the RIAA are probably sharpening their swords as we speak.

[Quemaqua]

I yearn for the day that they do so to commit sepuku.

[MysterD]

RIAA lawsuit incoming. You can't be telling people what they are allowed to do. We need to trick them into buying music twice or more!

See this thread then

[WindAndConfusion]

Apple and the RIAA are probably sharpening their swords as we speak.

• What does Apple have to do with this? Perhaps you didn't know, but iTunes can rip CDs to MP3/AAC/ALAC/etc. If this is illegal, then Apple is fucked. Besides, they get their money from selling iPods to stupid douchebags like Ghandi.
• The RIAA thing was horribly misreported. Some douchebags who work for some record companies said stupid shit, and the media spun it into, "RIAA wages jihad against CD ripping!!!"

[Quemaqua]

If this is illegal, then Apple is fucked. Besides, they get their money from selling iPods to stupid douchebags like Ghandi.

   Ghandi's my buddy, but man did that get me laughing.  I suppose this makes me a bad person, but if it wasn't that, it'd have been something else, so I'll just enjoy the moment.

[Pugnate]

This means that your hate for ipod outweighs your friendship for Ghandi.

[Quemaqua]

My hate for Apple pretty much outweighs everything.

[Ghandi]

Haha, just saw this.

In my defense, I would never purchase an Apple product. All of them have been gifts. Even still, I enjoy them.

[nickclone]

I don't care anyways I've only bought two CDs in the past seven years anyways.

[gpw11]

• What does Apple have to do with this? Perhaps you didn't know, but iTunes can rip CDs to MP3/AAC/ALAC/etc. If this is illegal, then Apple is fucked. Besides, they get their money from selling iPods to stupid douchebags like Ghandi.
• The RIAA thing was horribly misreported. Some douchebags who work for some record companies said stupid shit, and the media spun it into, "RIAA wages jihad against CD ripping!!!"

Yes, you are able to do so, but that doesn't mean in any way Apple actually wants you to.  It's much more beneficial for them to hope people just rebuy their shit from the iTunes store so they can get their 30% cut.  Plus, they'd love for people to replace their songs with nifty FairPlay versions which can assure iPod sales for years to come.  It's not like if all of a sudden CD ripping was illegal ipod sales would suffer in any way.

[scottws]

I think the point Wind was making was that iTunes, in its current form, would be illegal software if CD ripping were illegal.  I don't think he was trying to make any sort of assumption about how this would affect Apple's revenue.

[Pugnate]

My hate for Apple pretty much outweighs everything, except for my love for Puggie.

I suspected as much.

[gpw11]

I think the point Wind was making was that iTunes, in its current form, would be illegal software if CD ripping were illegal.  I don't think he was trying to make any sort of assumption about how this would affect Apple's revenue.

c
Good point.  I completely misinterpreted that.