Is it Legal to Duplicate DVDs in Britain and in Other Countries?

To copy or rip DVD content to other formats as used in portable device or hard drive, which many people may have done several times, is regarded technically illegal as copyright infringement. But globally, some countries either explicitly allow it in certain circumstances or don’t forbid it.

Back to August 2nd 2011, news from Reuters reported that the British government will announce on Aug. 3rd about its plans to legalize the copying of CDs and DVDs onto computers or portable media players, but of course, just for personal use-key words that definitely could not be ignored. But then if you web search it you’ll discover that making private copy of copyrighted media without the copyright owner’s consent is currently illegal while the UK government’s new Digital Economy Act is likely to make copying CDs for personal use legal. The number of British who vote legal for CD ripping reaches 59% and 55% of them did this.

But in fact, such report outlawing the ripping of CD and DVDs has been scrapped by the government on Aug. 3rd, 2011.

In Australia and New Zealand, copy legally purchased music doesn’t breach the law if keeping to one’s own use and not distributing to others.

Then in the US, no certain rules explicit grant or deny a right of copying/ripping copyrighted DVDs to one’s own PC or portable devices.The Feds tried to legalize this action previously as well.

Well, as no countries actually precisely define private copy/ripping of CD/DVDs illegal, such issue hangs on air all these years. I suppose this is largely because copyright laws, the government and the copyright holders place much more attention on CD/DVD/BD pirating business for commercial purposes. That probably means that it’s OK to get backup content but keep it to your own.