3 ms·

The title is extremely misleading. It makes it sound as if Mumford & Sons have been interviewed saying they don't want people to lend their CDs to each other. W

by zerovox 14y ago

The title is extremely misleading. It makes it sound as if Mumford & Sons have been interviewed saying they don't want people to lend their CDs to each other. What has actually happened is their label included some small print on their CD saying 'Unauthorized Lending' is not okay. This is clearly an issue with the label rather than the artist, and as amadeus says, is probably meaning Lending in terms of public rentals like from a library. I just had a look at about 10 of my CDs and 2 of them had exactly the same warning, both from UK labels, so perhaps it is fairly UK specific boiler-plate legal notice. Can't help but feel this is terrible reporting from Wired.

raphman 14y ago
Maybe even specific to Europe. Such fine print is also on most German CDs. And nobody I know ever interpreted it as prohibiting private lending.
drucken 14y ago
I believe your interpretation is correct. In the UK, it is illegal to lend copyrighted works, with exceptions for some public transfers (18A of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/18A http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/18A) or under very specific "fair dealing" clauses. It is even currently illegal to copy your own CD, though that will specifically be changed shortly by some new legislation (http://www.ipo.gov.uk/about/press/press-release/press-release-2012/press-release-20121220.htm http://www.ipo.gov.uk/about/press/press-release/press-releas...).
- thirdtruck 14y ago
  I find this revelation incredibly relevant to the "I have nothing to hide" thread here on HN. How many people can even comprehend getting in trouble for just handing a CD to a friend?
antoncohen 14y ago
I think you're right, it's a European thing, and it probably shouldn't have been printed on a CD sold in the US. One recent Metallica CD actually says "For sale or rental for private home use only." Of the US-purchased CDs I checked, major label and indie, none of them prohibited renting or lending. Of the 3 CDs I checked that I purchased in Europe, 2 prohibited renting or lending. One from the Netherlands says "Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performances of the record prohibited." One from the UK (from 1994, so it isn't recent) says "unauthorized copying, hiring, renting, public performances & broadcasting of this recording prohibited." I think they use "lending" and "hiring" because "renting" in ambiguous as to who is paying or being paid.

by zerovox 14y ago

raphman 14y ago

Maybe even specific to Europe. Such fine print is also on most German CDs. And nobody I know ever interpreted it as prohibiting private lending.

drucken 14y ago

I believe your interpretation is correct. In the UK, it is illegal to lend copyrighted works, with exceptions for some public transfers (18A of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/18A http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/18A) or under very specific "fair dealing" clauses. It is even currently illegal to copy your own CD, though that will specifically be changed shortly by some new legislation (http://www.ipo.gov.uk/about/press/press-release/press-release-2012/press-release-20121220.htm http://www.ipo.gov.uk/about/press/press-release/press-releas...).

thirdtruck 14y ago
I find this revelation incredibly relevant to the "I have nothing to hide" thread here on HN. How many people can even comprehend getting in trouble for just handing a CD to a friend?

antoncohen 14y ago

I think you're right, it's a European thing, and it probably shouldn't have been printed on a CD sold in the US. One recent Metallica CD actually says "For sale or rental for private home use only." Of the US-purchased CDs I checked, major label and indie, none of them prohibited renting or lending. Of the 3 CDs I checked that I purchased in Europe, 2 prohibited renting or lending. One from the Netherlands says "Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performances of the record prohibited." One from the UK (from 1994, so it isn't recent) says "unauthorized copying, hiring, renting, public performances & broadcasting of this recording prohibited." I think they use "lending" and "hiring" because "renting" in ambiguous as to who is paying or being paid.