What Are DVD Copying Laws? What is Illegal and What Isn't?

When it comes to copying DVD's, many individuals are worried whether or not it is legal. A lot of people have concerns as to whether or not they'll get into trouble by breaking any DVD copying laws. Obviously, this is a highly controversial topic, therefore it's important to set the record straight once and for all.

Just what are, exactly, DVD copying laws? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) states that it is, in fact, illegal to break the CSS protection located on most DVD's. This DVD copy law doesn't specifically state, however, that it's illegal to make a personal, back up copy of a title already paid for an owned by the owner. This means that, according to these laws, just as long as you don't rip the original movie's coding, it's not necessarily illegal to make your own backup copy for personal use.

So how do you know whether or not you'll be ripping the original copy's coding? By reading reviews on DVD copying software and blank DVD products to ensure that every step you take will be legal. DVD copying laws also state that selling any copied movies or software is illegal, so you should never, ever do anything like that under any circumstance.

There are DVD copying products out there that rip off the original movie's coding. These software programs are created to bypass the copy-protection mechanisms. If you choose to make back up copies, then do so at your own risk. If, however, you wish to stick to the law for moral reasons, then make sure read those reviews to find out which programs don't bypass any coding illegally! DVD copying laws are hard for some to understand, so if you're truly worried about breaking any, do some research first.

The thing about DVD copying laws to remember, though, is that they're always changing. As technology becomes more advanced, film and music production companies are just going to have to accept that the times are 'a changin'. It takes the entertainment companies a few years to catch up with technology. Try keeping up with all the latest laws if you can. You also may be able to find some alternative solutions.

It may seem silly that there actually ARE DVD copying laws to begin with. The industry claims that the laws are in effect to protect consumers such as yourself from being ripped off by a bootleg seller. Obviously, the industry doesn't give people like you and me enough credit for our common sense. It's also heavily debated as to whether or not they truly care about the welfare of the consumers or just their own pockets.

Whatever the case may be, however, there are still DVD copying laws, and they need to be followed until better laws come along. If, for any reason, you choose to copy some DVD's, try doing so without breaking the copy-protection mechanisms. Even then, do so at your own risk. For now, DVD copy laws aren't the greatest, but hopefully, in time, the industry will catch up to modern technology and will make the laws more appropriate for everyone.