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Format shifting may finally be legalised

By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 2 Aug 2011 at 11:45

The Government is set to announce plans to legalise format shifting and ditch web-blocking plans.

Business secretary Vince Cable is expected to announce the changes in a speech at the British Library in London tomorrow, as he endorses the Hargreaves Review on intellectual property laws, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Find out the latest news on the copyright law changes here

At the moment, ripping music or films from discs - to put on an MP3 player, for example - technically breaches copyright. While most record labels have long said they had no intention of taking action against format shifting, the Advertising Standards Authority recently reprimanded the makers of the Brennan JB7 device for failing to mention that CD ripping is illegal.

Private copying is carried out by millions of people and many are astonished that it is illegal in this country

"We are determined to explore how exceptions to copyright can benefit the UK economy and support growth," the paper quoted Cable as saying. "Private copying is carried out by millions of people and many are astonished that it is illegal in this country."

Cable is expected to back another change recommended by Professor Ian Hargreaves' report, and call for the website-blocking plans outlined in the Digital Economy Act to be dropped.

Under those plans, ISPs will be told to block specific websites that host content that infringes copyright. Such a move is already possible via court order - last week, BT was ordered to block access to the Newzbin website, but the exact method of how that will be done is yet to be decided.

However, plans currently being discussed by Culture Minister Ed Vaizey, ISPs and copyright lobbyists would take the web blocking out of the courts, mimicking an existing system for taking down access to child pornography sites.

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User comments

Spelling mistake...

"expceptions".....

By anthonysjones on 2 Aug 2011

Fixed, thanks for flagging it.

By Nicole_Kobie on 2 Aug 2011

eBooks

I wonder if this means we can request free eBook versions of the paper copies we own, that would afterall just be a format shift for a pre-existing article...

By skarlock on 2 Aug 2011

free to b

you have a good point i am sure you can scan your book to e-book :)

By keptho1 on 2 Aug 2011

If they allow format shifting in general, I wonder if it will still be illegal to format shift if there is any DRM e.g. AACS?

By tech3475 on 2 Aug 2011

ebooks format shifting

It is easy enough to rip a disk, try doing that with a book - scan 300 plus pages anyone? Perhaps someone can devise a personal book to e-book device? It would surely sell a bundle.

By Manuel on 2 Aug 2011

Format shifting may finally be legalised

this is all well and good, but how do you keep it legal and propper?
Accidents happen, but not all are genuine

By invalidscreenname on 2 Aug 2011

PC Pro

Can I have PC Pro in PDF as well as a magazine then? It would be great to have something to reference after having to throw out the mag :)

By Dr_Aspirin on 2 Aug 2011

@Dr_Asprin

Not as PDF, but it is available in electronic format, has been for some time.

By big_D on 3 Aug 2011

They should be taking the people RUNNING newzbin to court, not BT.

By frankster on 3 Aug 2011

@tech3475

If something's copy protected then breaking the copy protection is an additional offence to making the copy so, yes, you will still be breaking the law in breaking the copy protection

By johnfair4 on 3 Aug 2011

@johnfair4

How would you be breaking the law if you break the copy protection?

By S_Elwell on 4 Aug 2011

@big_D

Yes, I have been thinking about buying PC Pro on the iPad but still want the magazine. I just don't want to pay for both.

By Dr_Aspirin on 4 Aug 2011

@S_Elwell

As johnfair4 stated - breaking copy protection (Circumvention of protection measures) is an offence in itself under the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003.

Allowing format shifting does not allow the removal of DRM software which would otherwise prevent this.

By greemble on 4 Aug 2011

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