On 24-1-2011 21:53, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>>> I still find it slightly weird that if I ask a friend to copy a CD for
>>> me, that's illegal.
>>
>> Not necessarily.
>
> Try telling that to the makers of my CD recorder that only records onto
> specially marked disks which cost 7x more "to support the record
> industry". In other words, "if you are using our product, you must be
> doing something illegal, so we're going to fine you". Yes, thanks, it's
> not like I'm a musician myself and I'm using it to copy works which I
> legally own the right to copy... >_<
>
>>> But if I turn on my radio and listen to the exact same music, that's
>>> completely legal. Either way it costs me nothing, and it's the exact
>>> same music. WTF?
>>
>> The radio station pays a fee every time they play a song.
>
> And that fee is identical regardless of whether they have two thousand
> listeners or zero listeners. (Which I guess just means that it's a
> really bad - or maybe really good? - deal for the radio operators.)
>
> Still, it's weird that if I guy visits my house and I happen to be
> playing a CD, that's illegal,

No that is a private playing (if that is a word). As long as you don't 
play it in public (a pub or on your speakers outside with the intention 
that random people can hear it, e.g. during a rally near your home). 
Basically as long as you know everybody who is listening and no 
arbitrary strangers can come in it is OK. At a private party you can 
play any music owned by anyone in there. Or any radio that anyone can 
receive for that matter.
In the same logic you can not play the radio in a pub, unless you pay to 
do so.

When it gets weird is when what you do passes the boundary of the house. 
Play the radio so loud that the neighbour can hear you: that is ok. 
connect your neighbours stereo to your output and you become a 
broadcasting company. Then *you* have to pay the record companies. That 
you paid your license fee and so did the neighbour is irrelevant.
At least it is that way in the Netherlands. The problem crops up if you 
have an antenna for the whole apartment building. It may be cheaper, 
easier and visually more attractive than all individual antennae on the 
roof, but the group of owners of that antenna is a broadcasting company.

> but if that exact same tune happens to be
> playing on the radio and he hears it, that's perfectly legal.
>
> In fact, no, this is weirder: If *I* play the radio to him, that's
> illegal. Even though he can go out to his car and play his own radio,
> and then that's legal. WTF?
>

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