Copying your own CDs, even for personal use is now illegal says RIAA

Posted: January, 02 2008

Watch out anyone who has converted any of their own CD Music to MP3 to play on an DAP (Digital Audio Player), as the RIAA have recently stated that:

If you make unauthorised copies of copyrighted music recordings, you’re stealing. You’re breaking the law and you could be held legally liable for thousands of dollars in damages.

£5000 ($10,000) fine per track

The RIAA has already sued Jammie Thomas, a single mother living in Brainerd, Minnesota, USA who ended up in civil court for copyright infringement.

She was stung with a £121,000 ($222,000) fine after the jury returned the verdict that Thomas was liable for wilfully infringing the copyrights on 24 songs.

Most recently

The RIAA has begun legal proceedings against Jeffery Howell of Scottsdale, Arizon who copied CDs he had bought legally onto his computer.

Reports suggest that there is no evidence to support that the man was File sharing with others, and it was for his own backup purposes, or as the intro suggests, to play converted tracks on an MP3 / DAP device.

Update on Howell Case

It would seem that Howell is being prosecuted for the usual Illegal Downloading, rather than just personal backup as was first thought; here are some further bits of info on the subject:

See the actual court documents (PDF)
Engadget’s retraction of the same claim
Digg story on Engadget’s retraction