3 ms·
Are you allowed to rent out regular DVDs? I assume you enter some contract that it is only for private use. I have no idea though, actually.
by _fizz_buzz_ 3y ago
Are you allowed to rent out regular DVDs? I assume you enter some contract that it is only for private use. I have no idea though, actually.
- ianhawes 3y agoYes you are! You’ve let IP rights holders rot your brain. Are you aware that there are publicly funded buildings in most towns in the US that permit you to rent one or multiple books without a monthly subscription fee? And that the late fees charged by those institutions do not share any of those revenues with the author? And that this model has been around for hundreds of years?
- _fizz_buzz_ 3y agoOk, it seems you are right. But it is not as obvious as you make it sound. I looked into this a little bit more. So, apparently software and audio recordings cannot be rented out and are excluded from the first sale exception to copyright. Movies studios tried to do get congress to do the same for movies but were unsuccessful. So, movies can actually be purchased and then rented out as you stated. But one can still not do whatever one wants with a DVD e.g. public performances (even free of charge) are not legal unless one buys the appropriate license.
- rasz 3y ago>apparently software millions of people rented nintendo/sega cartridges in the nineties. N actually tried suing blockbuster https://www.nintendotimes.com/1989/08/19/nintendo-sues-blockbuster-video-for-copying-instruction-books/ https://www.nintendotimes.com/1989/08/19/nintendo-sues-block... but couldnt on game lending grounds so went for xeroxing manuals. Blockbuster in return switched to third party manuals, but lawsuit failed. N heavily lobbied for Computer Software Rental Amendments Act, but ultimately failed and games are excluded https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/senate-bill/198 https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/senate-bill/198