I would challenge readers of this thread that think they have rights to copy materials to actually go read the law and find where it says you have the right under "fair use" to do what you think you can do. I promise you it will be an enlightening experience. You'll find the actual definition of Fair Use not the second hand interpretations. Another interesting tidbit is how Educational and Non-Profits have exclusions that allow use that the rest of can't do. Lastly, there are different laws for music versus video. Enjoy:

http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html

Cheese Sauce....!
 

I appreciate that I opened this can of worms but I don't really care what the law says. Any law that seeks to prosecute me for cutting up the footage on a dvd, that I bought, for my own personal use is crap as far as I am concerned. I "legally" can take a hammer and destroy the dvd if I choose, so cutting up the movie for my own personal pleasure is "legal" in my book. If the motion picture people find me that much of a threat to their "business", let them come after me. They should be happy that I paid for it in the first place instead of just renting and "ripping" a copy.

Sorry for the rant but it's pretty annoying to have some people post like I'm out there clubbing baby seals.

I mean, c'mon, give me a break. Why not go join the police force and go arrest a real criminal. Preferably someone armed with more than curiosity, an internet connection and a copy of Final Cut Pro.
:)

Cheers,
Scott

Did you read the law and found where it says you can't do what you want or are you just going with what others say?

I carry and swing no club. My challenge is that you experience the freedom that comes with knowledge and actually know what the law says instead of getting angry based on what others say about it. What's this about cheese sauce?

Scott Shama, you baby seal clubber, you.

I'll make it my mission in life to cease everything and hunt you down... NOT.

However I would like to point out one potential twist to your argument about who owns what. You had said:

<< I "legally" can take a hammer and destroy the dvd if I choose, so cutting up the movie for my own personal pleasure is "legal" in my book. >>

That's not at all right, sorry. Big problem here. You own the physical thing, that is, the DVD. Destroy it if you wish. Buy multiple copies at full retail and destroy all of them, but be careful of the media circus that might create if you make a public spectacle out of it! ;-)

What you do NOT own however is the material that's on the DVD, and you are not free to cut up the movie. The DVD is one thing -- the movie that's on it is another. Destroy the DVD if you want, but you have no right to alter the movie, even if it's only for your own private use. You are allowed by law to make a backup copy, but you are not allowed to change it in any way.

For a very good clarification of copyright law, see http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/busin...yrightfaq1.php, which is a five-part copyright FAQ by Douglas Spotted Eagle.

As far as this message board is concerned, you have to realize that I must look at it as a liability issue. Within this community, what you think of the law -- whether you think it's stupid or smart, whether you think it should be changed -- whether or not you think anybody is going to come after you for you what feel is only a minor infringement -- none of this matters around here.

All that matters is that you and the rest of our community know what the law is.

What you choose to do in your own home with copyrighted material is no concern of ours, but we will have no public discussion of it here. Sorry to turn serious, but this thing has to be considered from a global perspective. So let me repeat:

What you think about the law does not matter. All that matters is what the law itself allows.

And with that, I think it's time to close this thread. Of course I don't really think Scott is a baby seal clubber, nor do I really care what he chooses to do with his Momento DVD. But the topic itself of ripping copyrighted material falls well outside of what is allowable here at DV Info Net (remember I have to walk the line of liability), so we have unfortunately reached the end of this discussion.

Hope this helps,