3 ms·

You're going to have to be more rigorous when defining "copy" in the digital age. The process of moving or reading any digital media necessitates copying in a w

You're going to have to be more rigorous when defining "copy" in the digital age. The process of moving or reading any digital media necessitates copying in a way that physical media does not. Rights holders deal with this by employing DRM (taking control of your computer to make sure you're not making copies the wrong way). So what? Because the format people prefer to consume media on has changed we suddenly lose the right to resell or lend media we purchase? We decided that was fair before, why should development of new technology reduce the scope of consumer rights?

Dalewyn 2y ago
For your perusal and reference, a rigorous legal definition of copying as it applies to the digital age: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117
- idle_zealot 2y ago
  > Any exact copies prepared in accordance with the provisions of this section may be leased, sold, or otherwise transferred, along with the copy from which such copies were prepared, only as part of the lease, sale, or other transfer of all rights in the program. Adaptations so prepared may be transferred only with the authorization of the copyright owner. I don't speak lawyer, but if I'm interpreting this right then this is the part where they say "actually yeah you can't sell or lend your copy to someone else unless explicitly authorized by the rights holder" i.e. we magically lost consumer rights by virtue of media being digital.
  - duskwuff 2y ago
    It's not as restrictive as you're reading it. This bit is fairly permissive: > only as part of the lease, sale, or other transfer of all rights in the program. It's basically saying that users are allowed to make personal copies of a digital work, but they aren't allowed to sell or loan out those copies separately from the original. For example, if you bought a game on floppy disk, you can make backup copies of the disk it came on, but you can't make "backups" for your friends to play while you keep the original, or sell your copy of the game while keeping a backup for yourself. This seems entirely reasonable to me.
    - idle_zealot 2y ago
      It's reasonable until you consider digital media that you didn't buy on physical media. Without that physical copy you get no resale rights.
ranger_danger 2y ago
I think the definition being used in this court case is any method that allows someone to see and read an equivalent (or substantially similar) representation of the original book in digital form.

Dalewyn 2y ago

For your perusal and reference, a rigorous legal definition of copying as it applies to the digital age: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117

idle_zealot 2y ago
> Any exact copies prepared in accordance with the provisions of this section may be leased, sold, or otherwise transferred, along with the copy from which such copies were prepared, only as part of the lease, sale, or other transfer of all rights in the program. Adaptations so prepared may be transferred only with the authorization of the copyright owner. I don't speak lawyer, but if I'm interpreting this right then this is the part where they say "actually yeah you can't sell or lend your copy to someone else unless explicitly authorized by the rights holder" i.e. we magically lost consumer rights by virtue of media being digital.
- duskwuff 2y ago
  It's not as restrictive as you're reading it. This bit is fairly permissive: > only as part of the lease, sale, or other transfer of all rights in the program. It's basically saying that users are allowed to make personal copies of a digital work, but they aren't allowed to sell or loan out those copies separately from the original. For example, if you bought a game on floppy disk, you can make backup copies of the disk it came on, but you can't make "backups" for your friends to play while you keep the original, or sell your copy of the game while keeping a backup for yourself. This seems entirely reasonable to me.
  - idle_zealot 2y ago
    It's reasonable until you consider digital media that you didn't buy on physical media. Without that physical copy you get no resale rights.

ranger_danger 2y ago

I think the definition being used in this court case is any method that allows someone to see and read an equivalent (or substantially similar) representation of the original book in digital form.