Legal & Ethical Questions in the PC Audio Age

Drubin - very often used CDs sold by Amazon parties are brand new sometimes with hole punched thru paper booklet or backcover - sometimes even thru plastic of the box (can anybody explain why?). I got that way brand new CDs for a fraction of a price. Try also tower.com - stores went bankrupt but on-line business was sold to somebody and still exists. Their prices are often better then Amazon and delivery is great (free over $20).

But this time, I bought the one that was identified as "New," because this discussion makes me wonder to what extent I'm being complicit in unethical behavior when I buy a used CD.

There is a difference though. If you own the original media (even bought second hand) then you have not broken the law. In this case, it is the person who has ripped it (kept a copy) and then sold the original that is breaking the law. I agree there is a concern that you might be complicit but it is hard to be certain. Many of the used or hard to find CD dealers on Amazon sell thousands of CD's a month - to me they look bonafide sellers (like used books) but like you I never checked - great question!

What a fascinating discourse!

To comment on the original question; I keep all my ripped CD's simply because I don't yet have confidence that my computer or backup drive wont fail one day, requiring me to re-rip some or all of my music.

I must admit that I have ripped CD's borrowed from friends (not many), and whilst it is probably poor rationalization, the truth is they are CD's I would NOT have bought myself anyway, so I'm not actually robbing the artist at all. I may even be helping the artist, because if I decide I like the artist, I may begin buying their other CD's and telling friends about them, which I wouldn't have done without the "free sample" as it were.

"I must admit that I have ripped CD's borrowed from friends (not many), and whilst it is probably poor rationalization, the truth is they are CD's I would NOT have bought myself anyway, so I'm not actually robbing the artist at all. I may even be helping the artist, because if I decide I like the artist, I may begin buying their other CD's and telling friends about them, which I wouldn't have done without the "free sample" as it were."

This is why it's best to keep the moral panic down to a dull roar, and to view what you do as a civil dispute, not a crime.

You're obviously violating copyright. It's far less obvious that you're doing any harm, and may - in fact - be helping the record company, especially if you're a heavy consumer of music.

Scott A.

OK, so some of you have taken the high road and never, never copied a CD. If the worst crime humanity ever committed was copying a CD, what a wonderful world this would be.