The Prez has Beatles songs on his iPod, showing he’s at least connected to the real world in some way. The problem is, iTunes still haven’t sold any Beatles songs, meaning he (or someone else) ripped them from a CD. The RIAA, governors of all things audio, say this is a big no-no, and not fair use.
While the RIAA isn’t likely going to sue the Prez it further puts them in a bad light. The RIAA wants to use you like an ATM, and that’s not right.
Keep in mind, it’s currently legal to rip songs from CDs you own, despite what the RIAA says, but if the RIAA gets its way in a future court case, the Prez would be breaking the law, and it could bring the inane argument the RIAA makes to the national stage.
Wrong…
http://www.amazon.com/The-Beatles/dp/B000QK2XVI/ref=sr_f1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1207637209&sr=101-4
Beattles music in MP3 form for sale on Amazon.com. There is 28 beatles songs but thousands of beatles related songs.
Look I am one of the last people to defend the RIAA, but they have NOT said that ripping a CD (like a Beatles CD) to your harddrive and then putting it on your iPod is “a big no-no.” Listen to Cary Sherman at http://www.npr.org/blogs/talk/2008/01/rip_this_and_sue_that.html.
Now to be sure he doesn’t say it’s “legal” but he doesn’t say it’s illegal. Personally, Don Verilli(see his Grokster Supreme Court statement on behalf of the RIAA) and I both believe the President’s act of ripping for personal use is legal. Indeed at least one Appellate Federal Circuit Court has characterized it as paradynamic personal use. Throw stones at the MPAA for other things – like backing poorly conceived legislation – most of which hasn’t passed; but they haven’t said it’s illegal to rip your purchased music and put it on your iPod for personal use.