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What to do with 1,200 CDs I don't need

I am in the process of putting all of my CDs onto hard drives (pain in the rear!) to play though my USB DAC. I will have 2 copies on separate drives, one that will only be turned on to make the backup.

I see no reason to keep the CDs so what now? I can't imagine trying to eBay 1,200 CDs one at a time. Perhaps in lots?

..Auction them here in lots?
..Take them to my local used CD store and sell them?
..Donate them to the library and get a tax deduction? If I value them at $10 each then I would save about $3,000 on my taxes. Three dollars each seems like as much or more than I would clear if I tried to sell them and I wouldn't have the hassles.

Any ideas??
herman
edesilva
768 posts
 
"The RIAA is not a consumer advocate group."

Amen to that. Frankly, kind of makes me queasy to even state their arguments, even if I do so with attribution. Just read another thread where they are suing a family for illegally downloading material, and the family doesn't even have a computer. The fact that the family just moved into the house in question doesn't seem to enter into the RIAA's analysis.

I'm a huge advocate of extensive fair use rights and think DRM is anti-consumer. Don't even get me started on video technology... Here I'll put in a plug for EFF--the Electronic Frontier Foundation--at http://www.eff.org.
herman OP
2,282 posts
 
Highway 61, you wore me out yesterday with your dust storm of what-if scenarios but I will try one more time to convince you that buying a CD, making and retaining a copy for your personal use, and then selling the original is illegal. Forget about whether or not you lose it or how many people are in your family.

My whole position depends entirely on the fact that it is illegal to sell copies. If you feel that it is legal to buy and sell copies then don't bother to read any further.

Scenario 1: You buy a new CD for $15, make a copy to keep for your use, and sell the original to your friend for $10.

Scenario 2: Your friend buys a new CD for $15, sells you a copy to use for $5, and he keeps the original. This is clearly illegal if you agree that selling copies is illegal.

The end result is exactly the same. In both cases your friend has the original and is out $10 while you have a copy and are out $5. How can one be legal and the other not if the end result is exactly the same?

It doesn't matter if you murder your wife or you pay somebody to murder your wife, if you get caught you are going to fry.
prpixel
876 posts
 
There's a new DMCA Bill coming up for vote soon. This one makes even talking about circumventing copy protection a crime. In addition, the language is so overly broad, that it actually makes any device that can be used to circumvent copy protection illegal. So, I guess that it would make personal computers illegal. You have to love it when the RIAA and the music labels write laws.
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Yes Herman, but at least she'll be dead before you ;^)
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,317 posts
 
Herman, it is clearly illegal to make a copy of copyrighted material and then to sell that copy. There is no dispute whatsoever about that issue. Making a copy and selling the original is open to debate. On the surface both scenarios may have the same end result, but legally they are quite distinct. The principle of first sale permits a buyer of copyrighted material to resell a legally purchased copy (the original). The fair use clause allows someone to legally make a copy of copyrighted material they have legally purchased. Both are well established legal doctrines. Add them together and I believe a consumer has the right to purchase, copy and resell (the original).

My example about my family is not off-base. It's a very real example of how music is used within a household. It's driving the RIAA nuts.
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